Serves 8

Notes

Whole-wheat pasta is a great alternative to regular pasta, and in the Italian tradition it is not a novelty. In Italy, pastas are made from buckwheat, farro, corn, chestnut, and chickpea flour, just to name a few. What is important to know is that each flour dictates a different cooking time for the pasta. For whole wheat, make sure to follow the instructions on cooking time; it does take longer than regular pasta, because the bran part has to be cooked. If it is not cooked enough, it remains chewy and won’t absorb the sauce well.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pot
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
  • One 15-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 4 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 pound whole-wheat penne
  • 2 cups grated Grana Padano cheese
  • Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
  • 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking

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Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking

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Directions

Combine the drained chickpeas, bay leaves, and 2 quarts water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Drain, and discard the bay leaves.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over -medium–high heat. Add the garlic. Once the garlic is sizzling, add the -red–pepper flakes and tomatoes, along with 1 cup of slosh water from the tomato can. Add the sage, salt, and cooked chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Transfer the pasta with a spider to the sauce, and add 1 cup pasta water. Simmer until the sauce just comes together again, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in 1 cup grated Grana Padano or -Parmigiano–Reggiano.

Grease a -4–quart baking dish with butter, and pour in the -pasta–and–sauce mixture. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining Grana Padano or -Parmigiano–Reggiano and the shredded mozzarella, and sprinkle over the pasta. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking

Cookbook

Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking

buy now