leek, miso, lemon & chickpea Pasta (serves 4)
Adapted From Craig a morrison
We love how the bright fruit characteristic of the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir offers a tannic structure and mild acidity that cuts through the creaminess of the dish.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 leeks (light green and white parts), halved lengthwise and sliced into thin rounds
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed
2 tsp. chili flakes
1.5 tbsp. white miso paste
250 g. small pasta (I used protein+)
3-4 c. veggie stock
1 lemon, zest and juice
Salt & pepper
Grated parmesan, to serve
Part 1:
Gather your ingredients.
Prep the leeks and garlic. Rinse and drain chickpeas.
Part 2:
Heat up a large dutch oven or lidded frying pan to medium and add butter and olive oil.
Add the sliced leeks and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Cook with the lid on for 4-5 minutes and then stir in the minced garlic. Continue to cook on medium heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally for another 8-10 minutes.
Stir in rinsed, drained can of chickpeas.
It is good practice to season as you build the flavor, adding salt and pepper any time you add a new item to a pot rather than waiting until the end. Of course a nice glass of wine for the chef is always appreciated at our house.
Add white miso paste and dried pasta to the pot, stirring to combine.
“Toast” the pasta for a minute or two before adding vegetable stock.
Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. You might need to have extra stock or use hot water if the mixture reduces and there is not enough liquid to completely cover the pasta.
Finally, add lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
Divide into individual bowls and top with parmesan cheese, more chili flakes, and lemon zest.
Notes from Our Kitchen:
Heating up the vegetable stock in advance is a great way to keep the cooking time to a minimum. I make my own stock with fresh, roasted vegetables and frozen vegetable scraps that I store in my freezer. The tops of the leeks are great to go in the freezer bag, and will provide excellent flavor to future stocks!
I suggest 3-4 cups of stock in the the ingredients. Most of the time when a recipe says to cook the pasta in the liquid, I make it on the side because the leftovers end up having no broth component and the noodles become soft. If you are making this for meal prep or to freeze, definitely just go with cooking the pasta in salted water and then add to individual bowls. You could also cook the noodles in the pot as directed, and reheat with some extra stock for meal #2.
