CHEF MISSY ROBBINS
Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce
Chef Missy Robbins of Brooklyn’s Lilia restaurant swaps chickpeas for pasta in her riff on spicy pomodoro. She finishes the dish with a shower of fresh herbs and salty pecorino cheese.
A quick, simple, and eminently usable vegetable-based dish. The recipe is from Missy Robbins of Brooklyn’s award-winning Lilia restaurant, who turns classic pasta al pomodoro on its head. In her spicy, healthy, and addictive version, Robbins (who was named a Best New Chef in 2010 for her cooking at A Voce) swaps out pasta in favor of nourishing chickpeas and tangles of kale. She says, “I created this dish when I was watching my weight, and I needed the satisfaction and flavor of a good red-sauce pasta— without using pasta. It’s an amazing one-pan dish that’s packed with richness but doesn’t take a long time to make.” For additional flavor, she tops the bowl with fresh herbs and salty pecorino Romano.
Adapted from Food & Wine.
Serves 4
Total Time: 35 min
Make it.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
One 8-ounce bunch of Tuscan kale, stemmed and chopped
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Torn basil and marjoram leaves, for garnish
Finely grated Pecorino Romano, for serving
Procedure:
Step 1
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes.
Step 2
Stir the kale into the sauce and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Spoon into bowls and garnish with torn basil and marjoram leaves. Top with finely grated pecorino and serve hot.