Mezze maniche with chickpeas and clams
11.5 oz Barilla Mezze Maniche Rigate (or Barilla Rigatoni)
3.5 oz dry chickpeas (or8.8 oz precooked)
1.76 lb clams
20 g chopped parsley
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4/5 basil leaves
1 garlic clove
chili to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours.
Boil the chickpeas begin cooking with cold water and boil for about one hour or until soft.
Alternatively, you can use precooked chickpeas in a tin.
In the meantime, in a pan, gently sautƩ half of the extra virgin olive oil called for in the recipe, the whole and peeled garlic clove, the chili and the chopped parsley.
Add the clams, thoroughly purged and washed under running water, and let the shells open up.
Once open, filter the cooking liquid and eliminate some of the shells.
When cooked, drain the chickpeas and mash in a bowl with a fork (or blend, if you want a more creamy texture), soften the purƩe with some of the clams cooking water and the remaining half of the oil, then adjust the salt and pepper.
Boil the Mezze Maniche Rigate in salted boiling water, drain when al dente, dress with the cream of chickpeas and sautƩ in a pan with the clams, add the basil, previously washed and dried and cut in stripes.