Don’t you love recipes that can be thrown together in minutes, yet are healthful and over-the-top delicious?
Today’s orecchiette easily fulfills all the above conditions. The tender-yet-robust chickpeas happily provide protein even as the copious amounts of spinach leaves lighten the load. The sweet pimentón coats everything with its seductive smokiness, while the shavings of nutty Manchego cheese and the drizzle of herbaceous olive oil made with the delicate Arbequina Spanish olives bestow the perfect last touch.
Hearty, smoky, savory, this pasta dish delivers heaps of flavor and leaves you feeling utterly satisfied.
Note: In the last few years, outstanding olive oils produced in the US have become readily available. Try California Olive Ranch‘s fabulous Arbequina olive oil. It’s fresh, fruity and it’ll be perfect for today’s pasta.
Wine pairing: Dominio de Pingus, Ribera del Duero, Ψ PSI 2009
Orecchiette with Wilted Spinach, Chickpeas and Pimentón
serves 4
active time: 20 min
For the pasta
- 1 tablespoon sea salt for the pasta water
- 12 oz (340gr) Orecchiette
- 1/3 cup Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
- 8 large garlic cloves – skinned and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne or to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pimentón dulce (Spanish smoked, sweet paprika)
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1–15 oz canned chickpeas – drained
- 12 oz (340gr) baby spinach – rinsed and spun dry
- 1/3 cup cooking liquid from chickpeas or pasta water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the garnishes
- Aged Manchego – shaved (use vegetable hand-peeler)
- Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
- Step 1: Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the salt and the pasta. Cook pasta until tender but still al dente. Drain well.
- Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, heat a large heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic begins to sizzle, stirring constantly and making sure it doesn’t brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Step 3: Just before the pasta is ready, reheat the garlic oil over high heat. As soon as the garlic sizzles, add the cayenne, pimenton, chickpeas and spinach. Toss until the spinach starts to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta, cooking liquid from chickpeas or pasta water, salt and pepper. Toss quickly and remove from heat.
- Step 4: Spoon pasta into bowls. Garnish with Manchego shavings, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.
Pimenton dulce (sweet Spanish smoked paprika)
This is one of my favorite brands of pimentón. Deep, powerfully smoky… addictive!
Disclaimer: As always, my point of view is my own. I do not accept samples, and have no commercial relationship with any product, food or wine company.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the bite of orechiette! The combination of spinach and spinach is such a winner, and the kick from the pimento must be great! :)
As always, I’m in love with your photography!
Thank you so much Kiri! You make me blush :)
This looks great! I love that you use pimenton, what a great ingredient! And I second Kiri’s comment about the photograph – great pictures!
Mary Ellen, thank you so much for the kind words… Now you’re making me blush too!
This is my kind of pasta dish–simple, unfussy yet satisfying. I love using paprika but I admit I haven’t used it this way. I have some pimenton that I will happily use for this recipe. I love the Spanish flair of this entire dish!
Thank you Jean!
Great combination of flavours… it reminds me of Southern Spain, somehow (must be the pimenton). I know I wouldn’t miss meat at all if I had a big bowl of this pasta in front of me right now!
Oh I love this recipe!So simple yet so flavorful and colorful, can’t wait to make it.Thanks for sharing :)
This is really perfect–exactly my kind of dinner. Orecchiette is an underused pasta shape, and I love it with vegetarian sauces.
Cucina49, I agree with you about the orecchiette… I love the way the chickpeas naturally nestle in the pasta!
You are an inspiration! Between your stunning photos and lovely recipes, I’m always leaving here with a new idea! Lovely pasta dish~
Liz! Thank you so, so much!
We had it for lunch today and it was a big hit. “This is one of Viviane’s” I told Jim. He looked pensive. “So no meat,” he said — then he brightened. “But it will be delicious!” And it was, even though I found I had no cayenne pepper (who doesn’t have cayenne pepper??) and substituted ancho chili powder. And used canellini beans instead of garbanzos, and pecorino instead of manchego . . . Next time I’ll hew more closely to the original recipe!
Julie! What a fun story… I hope you ran to the market and got cayenne for future culinary adventures! I can’t wait for you to try the recipe with the chickpeas though. Their flavor and texture is essential here. The cannellini beans are much too creamy for this recipe… Please tell Jim I’m grateful that he’s such a good sport when it comes to missing his meat!
Gorgeous! I’m not sure I can find orecchiette here, but I’ll certainly look. Either way, I’m sure I can find a why to rock this spinach, chickpea combo of Yum!
Parsley Sage, The orecchiette are certainly a super delicious pasta shape, but you could make this recipe with more common shapes like penne rigate, mezzi rigatoni or spaghetti and get good results. Buen appetito!
This is definitely my kind of meal at the end of a long day. I’m looking forward to trying it.
Hi, That looks so tasty. Just the cure i think for me the day after a night of indulgence.
WoW! That is an amazing pasta dish! I love wilted spinach in pasta and orechiette is a favorite shape
What a wonderfully simple yet satisfying meal. Always the best. Thank you for sharing it.
I wish I could have that bowl of pasta for the lunch! More spinach please.
Happy New Year!
Angie
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