Roasted Ceci Food

CRUNCHY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Drain and dry chickpeas very well. Dry them up using some paper towels and leave them in a colander until they have dried as much as possible (OR you can spread them on a large baking sheet lined with paper towel for a while.)
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack right in the middle.
• Spread the chickpeas well on a bare baking sheet (do not line the baking sheet with parchment or foil.) Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Toss chickpeas and make sure they are well-coated with the olive oil. Spread them out well on the sheet.
• Roast in heated oven anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. Don't rush it, make sure the chickpeas turn a deeper golden brown and the exterior is nice and crispy, that's when they're ready.
• Season roasted chickpeas. Once you take the chickpeas out of the oven, immediately season with spices of your choice. This time, I used za'atar, sumac, and harissa blend (up to 2 tsp each) for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan notes. Play with the amounts to your liking, and change up the spices according to what you have. (see more flavor ideas up in the post)

ROASTED CHICKPEAS 3 WAYS

Steps:

• For the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put a few layers of paper towels on your work surface. Strain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander, then shake off as much water as possible. Transfer them to the paper towels, top with more paper towels, then pat them gently and roll them around a bit to dry. Discard any papery skins that have peeled off or are about to. Slide the chickpeas onto a large rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• Roast the chickpeas, stirring them occasionally to keep them from burning in spots, until a little shriveled and pretty crispy, about 45 minutes. Start checking them at around 35 minutes to make sure they are not burning.
• Meanwhile, make the seasoning mixes. For the Taco Seasoning: Mix the chili powder, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic and onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
• For the Vinegar-Lime Seasoning: Mix the vinegar, lime zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
• For the Onion-Garlic Seasoning: Mix the granulated garlic and onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
• When the chickpeas are done, divide them evenly among 3 medium bowls. Toss each batch with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then toss 1 batch with each of the seasoning mixes.
• Return the chickpeas to the baking sheet, keeping each batch separate. Roast them for 3 minutes, just to cook the seasonings slightly. Let cool completely on the pan on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer to airtight containers. The chickpeas will keep for 1 day and will soften slightly as they sit.

ROASTED CECI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spread garbanzo beans on half sheet pan, dribble olive oil over them and use your (clean) hands to mix.
• Roast for 40 minutes, shaking the pan every 12 minutes or so, until quite brown and crisp.
• (May leave in oven for another hour or two at 250 to 275 for additional crisping.).
• Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
• Cool. Serve.
• Can recrisp, if necessary, by heating for 5 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CECI

Steps:

• Boil water for pasta, salt it, and cook spaghetti to al dente.
• While spaghetti cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Place chick peas in food processor and pulse grind them to a fine chop. Add chick peas to garlic and season them with thyme, salt and pepper then saute them for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine or broth and cook down 30 seconds or so then stir in tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese.

PASTA E CECI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery and leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are wilted, about 5 minutes. Clear a space in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic and red pepper flakes. Let toast for a minute, then stir into the vegetables. Add the chickpeas, lemon zest, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, if using, 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas until the broth appears creamy and slightly thick, leaving plenty of chickpeas whole, 6 or 7 mashes around the pot should do the trick. Add the ditalini and 1 cup water. Return to a simmer and cook until the ditalini is very al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and let sit until the broth is thickened and the pasta finishes cooking, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves, cheese rind and lemon zest before serving. Season the pasta e ceci with salt, if needed. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

SPICY ROAST CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Tip the chickpeas into a bowl and toss with the rapeseed oil, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander along with a big pinch of salt. Toss well until the chickpeas are well coated, then tip out onto a baking tray and bake for 35 mins, moving them round the tray halfway through so they dry out evenly and are crunchy. Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container.