Recipe: pasta and chickpeas with fennel and lemon

The tang of lemon combines so well with earthy chickpeas

Pasta and chickpeas with fennel and lemon
Pasta and chickpeas with fennel and lemon, taken from Gennaro’s Limoni: Vibrant Italian Recipes Celebrating the Lemon by Gennaro Contaldo

Pasta and chickpeas is a popular dish all over Italy, says Gennaro Contaldo.

The tang of lemon combines so well with earthy chickpeas, I often find myself squeezing extra juice over my portion. Make sure you start by softening the chickpeas the night before.

Serves four people

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Ingredients

  • 200g dried chickpeas
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, left whole and squashed
  • 100g fennel bulb, finely chopped
  • 20g wild fennel fronds, roughly chopped (optional)
  • thinly pared rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 1.8 litres water
  • 200g tagliatelle, broken into little pieces
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

  • parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 unwaxed lemon, zested then quartered

Method

  • Place the chickpeas in plenty of cold water with the bicarbonate of soda (this softens the chickpeas and speeds up cooking time) and soak overnight.
  • The next day, heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the carrots, garlic and fennel bulb and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and stir in the wild fennel (if using) and lemon rind. Add the water, 1 unwaxed lemon, zested then quartered bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for about 2 hours until the chickpeas are cooked.
  • When cooked, season to taste, increase the heat, add the pasta – you may need a little more boiling water – and cook until the pasta is al dente.
  • Serve with parmesan, freshly grated lemon zest and the lemon quarters for squeezing.

Gennaro's Limoni book cover

Taken from Gennaro’s Limoni: Vibrant Italian Recipes Celebrating the Lemon by Gennaro Contaldo, available from The Week Bookshop for £20.

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