Tag: chickpeas

Chickpeas as a side dish – AltroFood – Gordon Ramsay’s version

Chickpeas as a side dish they are a choice versatile And nutritious which can enrich any meal with their delicate flavor and satisfying texture. These legumes are rich in proteins, fibers And minerals, making them an excellent option for those looking to eat a balanced diet. Furthermore, chickpeas can be prepared in a variety of ways, from simple steamed chickpeas to more elaborate recipes, thus offering a wide range of possibilities to accompany your main dishes. Their versatility makes them suitable for vegetarian diet, vegan And omnivorousensuring that everyone can enjoy their benefits regardless of dietary preferences.

Chickpeas as a side dish

Chickpeas, thanks to them nutritional richness And culinary versatility, they represent an excellent choice as a side dish in many dishes. These legumes can be transformed into a variety of preparations ranging from simple to sophisticated, adapting perfectly to both everyday dishes and more elaborate recipes for special occasions. The key to a good dish of chickpeas as a side dish lies in the choice of ingredients and care in preparation.

One of the most popular recipes to enhance chickpeas as a side dish is that of chickpea cutlets. This preparation, which you can find at the following link Chickpea Cutlets, is a perfect example of how chickpeas can be transformed into a tasty and nutritious dish, ideal for accompanying meat, fish or even as the protagonist of a vegetarian meal.

The preparation of chickpeas as a side dish is not limited only to elaborate recipes. Even simply cooked in a pan with fresh herbs or as a base for nutritious salads, chickpeas always offer a balanced supply of proteins And fibersas well as being a source of iron And potassium.

Incorporating chickpeas into your diet as a side dish is also an excellent way to enrich your meal taste And substance without weighing it down. This legume, in fact, pairs well with a wide range of flavors, from fresh aromatic herbs to citrus fruits, through bolder spices.

In shortchickpeas as a side dish are a smart choice for those looking to vary their diet with tasty, healthy and easy-to-prepare options. As we have seenthere are multiple ways to include chickpeas in our meals, making them a valuable and versatile addition to the table.

Because chickpeas need to be soaked – Gordon Ramsay’s version

Because chickpeas need to be soaked is a question that many cooking and food and wine enthusiasts ask themselves, especially when they approach the preparation of recipes in which they are the protagonists. The answer to this question not only reveals a fundamental aspect of traditional cuisine but also opens the door to a better understanding of how to treat legumes in general. The soaking of chickpeas, in fact, is not an arbitrary passage, but an action that has a profound impact on quality of the final dish, on the digestibility of the legume and on reduction of cooking times.

Because chickpeas need to be soaked

Soaking chickpeas is a practice that has its roots in culinary tradition and has multiple justifications, both practical and nutritional. First, soaking allows you to rehydrate chickpeas, which having been dried for conservation, have lost much of their water content. This process not only shortens cooking times, making them softer in less time, but also helps make the chickpeas more tender easy to digest.

Another fundamental aspect concerns the reduction of phytates, compounds naturally present in legumes that can limit the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc. Soaking, especially if prolonged and in warm water, helps to reduce the concentration of these antinutrients, thus improving the nutritional profile of the final dish.

Additionally, soaking water tends to absorb some of the soluble sugars present in chickpeas, which are among the main responsible for the production of intestinal gas. Drain the chickpeas from the soaking water and rinse them before cooking can therefore help to make the legume more Kind on the stomach.

The temperature soaking water also plays an important role. Warm or room temperature water promotes the rehydration process and the reduction of phytates, while cold water can slow these processes.

As we have seen, soaking chickpeas is not a culinary whim, but a practice with solid scientific and traditional foundations that improves the quality of the final dish in many respects. Whether you are dealing with a simple soup or more elaborate recipes such as chickpea cutlets, never underestimate the importance of this step. In short, dedicating time to soaking chickpeas is an investment in the success of your dish and in the well-being of those who will consume it.

Super creamy pasta and chickpeas, the secret of tradition revealed after 180 years: What is added to the cooking water, a wonder – Gordon Ramsay’s version

Pasta and chickpeas is a delicious dish very ancient origins, typical of the gastronomic tradition of various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Puglia and Sicily.
The main feature of this recipe is its high nutrient content, essential for the farmers, who had to support a whole day’s work in the fields, therefore having enough energy to continue their hard day. THE chickpeasIn fact, like all other legumes, they have a high quantity of proteins, and their integration with the carbohydrates contained in the pasta make this delicacy a truly unique dish.

Anyway, a perfect pasta and chickpeasaccording to the ancient Tuscan tradition, must preferably be prepared with egg tagliolini, to be added directly to the pan in which the chickpeas are prepared. Another important detail concerns the preparation of the legumes: a part of these, in fact, it will be passed through a food mill and added to a light sauté, prepared with a clove of garlic, a sprig of rosemary and a spoonful of tomato sauce. As soon as the chickpea puree Once it is slightly golden, it must be added to the rest of the whole chickpeas and only at this point, after the cooking water has reached the boil, can you also add the egg pasta.

All variations of pasta and chickpeas, from Neapolitan to Roman

As often happens with all traditional recipes, too pasta and chickpeas It has many variations, both in terms of pasta shapes, short or long, and in terms of the ingredients used. In Campania, for example, this dish requires a particular cooking process before serving it. After leaving the pasta and chickpeas to “rest” for a few minutes, prepare a light sauté with a couple of cloves of garlic, cut into very fine slices, some extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of spicy chilli powder (or whole, if you prefer). Afterwards, the pasta with chickpeas is served with a sprinkling of parsley and a pinch of chopped chilli pepper.

In the Salento cuisine, however, after seasoning the pasta with chickpeas, leave a little aside. This will then be fried, mixed with the rest of the soup and seasoned with a drizzle of oil. But be careful: this variant does not include short pasta, but fettuccine! There Pasta And Chickpeas Alla Romana, unlike the other versions, presents a further change. Tradition dictates, in fact, that the dish be enriched with salted anchovies, to be fried separately with a clove of garlic and tomato sauce. As soon as the anchovies have dissolved, a part of the cooking water from the pasta with chickpeas is added, seasoned and then added to the rest of the soup.

A very ancient recipe, handed down from the peasant gastronomic culture of Tuscany (still widespread today in some border areas with Lazio), involves the addition of chestnuts. These are first chopped and, later, added to a sauté with red garlic, rosemary and a handful of finely chopped raw ham fat.

Traditional pasta and chickpeas

Pasta ingredients and chickpeas

250g of mixed pasta
350 g of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
salt, chilli pepper, chopped parsley, pepper to taste
olive oil to taste

Pasta and chickpea procedure

Fry in a pan, in oil, one clove of garlic and chilli pepper; add the cooked chickpeas, sauté them and, pour in a little of the chickpea cooking water, cook for 5 minutes. Take a portion of the chickpeas from the pan, blend them and pour the resulting cream over the other chickpeas. “Drop” the mixed pasta and cook by pouring small quantities of hot water several times. When cooking is complete, bring the “dish” to the table after sprinkling it with a “sprinkle of pepper” and lots of parsley.
Enjoy your meal!