Pasta with a lot of Onions, Crispy Chickpeas & Gremolata Pesto
by Karen Dudley
from Onwards
This divine dish combines the fresh, citrusy flavour of the gremolata pesto with the sweet, deep flavours of caramelised onions and the satisfying crunch of crispy chickpeas, making for a vibrant and texturally interesting pasta dish. This recipe serves 4–6.
Introduction
“When I yielded to the idea of using my food processor to slice onions, an entire world of possibility revealed itself! I had until recently been quite pedantic about manual slicing. As much as I worship onions as the basis of all food with soul, the thought of coming home, the smell of kitchen still clinging to my clothes, and having to chop an onion and peel garlic felt like an act of sacrificial devotion. In this recipe, you cook the onions through translucence into caramelly sweetness – the classic Maillard effect. For this pasta, you do need a lot of onions, since they reduce to this allium transfiguration! Add salt, put the lid on and allow for a bit of sweating and confiting. Then turn up the heat and take them to perfect flavour.”
Ingredients
For the Gremolata Pesto
For the Onions
Method
To make the Gremolata Pesto, place the parsley, garlic and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add the lemon juice and then slowly drizzle in the oils to make a pesto. Season with salt and black pepper. For this recipe, add 2 tablespoons of water and more lemon juice to create a looser dressing which can be drizzled. Set aside.
To make the onions, heat the sunflower oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add all the sliced onions and the salt. Stir briefly to coat the onions in the oil, then leave to cook over medium heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes or so. Once the onions begin to colour, turn up the heat and cook for another 12–15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes, until the onions caramelise.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and boil the pasta until al dente. Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl with a pat of butter. Add the caramelised onions, Maldon salt, a good grinding of black pepper, the za’tar and all the crispy chickpeas. Drizzle over ¼–½ cup of the Gremolata Pesto and serve!
