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chickpea ragout, winter edition

Get yourself:

• about half an onion
• a few cloves of garlic
• some scallions
• 1 chili pepper in adobo sauce (from a can)
• a can of diced tomatoes (the regular size one, not the giant one)
• a can of chickpeas (should match the tomato can)
• olive oil, salt, pepper
• some short pasta

Now:

1. chop everything except your two whole cans and put your pasta water on to boil.
2. heat the oil in a pan. toss the onion and scallions in for about 2 minutes, or until they soften.
3. throw in everything else (chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, adobo) and one of the following: a half-cup chicken stock, a spoonful of chicken fat, or a dash of water or veggie broth. Basically just throw in some random flavor-and-soupiness-adding ingredient for good measure.
4. put a lid on it, put some short pasta in that pasta water that’s going on the other burner, and wait for the ragout to boil.
5. turn it down to low and boil gently for 15 min or until the pasta’s done.
6. pour over pasta in a bowl and grate plentiful parmesan on top.

Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. His version involves fresh tomatoes and parsley, but no adobo. His is probably better, unless it is the middle of the winter and you would really like to use canned stuff and also it would be nice to have a small, cozy fire in your mouth. Then mine totally kicks butt.