Despite the bounty of the farmers markets, farm stands and gourmet grocery stores, there are times when you look in the refrigerator and think to yourself that there is nothing to make for dinner. So it’s a good idea to have some standby pantry staple recipes that are quick, easy and delicious.
My definition of a pantry meal is that it has to be made from ingredients that are shelf stable and always in my pantry. Pasta meals are the perfect solution. You can always jazz up pasta with some fresh ingredients or something you’ve defrosted from your freezer. Or serve it with a fresh salad. But at least you know that in a pinch, if you have some pasta and a few pantry ingredients, you and your family will not go hungry.
This dish of Pasta with Chickpeas and Artichokes is one of my favorite go-to pasta meals. It is inspired by Victoria Granof’s recipe for Pasta con Ceci from her book Chickpeas. I love her one-pot method and customized it to accommodate my tried-and-true pantry ingredients.
The beauty of this method is that you can do everything—including the pasta—in one large sauté pan. I like to use my Hestan 3.5-quart copper sauté pan. It has a wider bottom than my traditional copper sauté pan, so you have more surface area, which which I like. And it’s a little lighter, so it’s easier to pick up. If I was stuck on a deserted island and allowed only one pan, this would surely be it. I use it constantly.
For this recipe you’ll need: pasta, a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), artichoke hearts (in a can or marinated in a jar), sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, salt and pepper. Optional (but highly recommended) are the pine nuts or almonds, and the kalamata olives. Relatively few ingredients, yet they combine to make a delicious meal.
The other huge advantage to this recipe is the fact that it doesn’t make a huge mess in your kitchen, and there is just one pan to clean. You might just find yourself making it even when there is plenty in your refrigerator for dinner.