I’m inaugurating my return to writing my blog at the beginning of summer with an exciting discovery I made at the market this morning -fresh garbanzo beans! As I approached the bench filled with vegetables, I noticed a huge pile of scraggly weeds looking half wilted and with fuzzy light green pods dangling from its branches. Intrigued, I glanced at the vendor who chuckled saying simply, “Garbanzo beans! Take them out of the pods, boil or eat them raw with a little salt!”At 2.50$ a bunch I took one home knowing I couldn’t go wrong. It took a bit of patience to remove the pods, then shelling them. 

The tender chickpea inside, a green wrinkly thing, tasted earthy and sweet, a bit like edamame.
It took a bit to shell, but it was rather enjoyable….give a gentle squeeze to the pod and it would softly pop open. Plop the pea into the bowl and grab the next one.

This is what it rendered…a chic bowl of emerald gems!

Looking at the two cups worth of chickpeas I had before me, I thought I would make a pasta – pappardelle as they are tender, yet wide enough to sustain a simple sauce with other vegetables. So this is what I came up with…

Pappardelle with Leeks, Zucchini, and Fresh Chickpeas

1 lb. or 250 gr. pappardelle (commercial brand). I made my own pasta with 3 eggs, 300 gr. of flour, and water. This probably yielded more than a pound.

2 cups fresh chickpeas. I roasted these in my Breville oven with some olive oil and salt until they were slightly golden.

1 large leek thinly sliced and sauteed until tender in some olive oil, and 1/2 cup of white wine which was reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.

3 zucchini finely diced and sauteed in olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Add  a little water (from the cooking pasta) to keep it moist and a bit soupy. This will form the sauce you will use for the pasta.

While the water is heating up to a boil, prepare the vegetables and cook them separately. I have become fond of layering flavors, cooking ingredients separately with their individual seasonings, then adding them to the pasta after it is drained. Reserve some of the water in case the pappardelle become dry. Once all the ingredients come together, add some butter or olive oil, grated parmigiano cheese and stir. Optional is a little cream which would add to the richness of the dish. I didn’t because  I’m trying to limit the amount of fat I add to meals. And  the pasta was delicious without it!

I even managed to sneak in another little bowl the next day!