Gigli with chickpeas and za'atar

• portions: 4 servings

Ingrédients

45ml olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

10g thyme leaves, finely chopped

30g capers

50g pitted kalamata olives

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 x 400g cans cooked chickpeas, drained

1 tsp soft brown sugar

400ml chicken stock

300g gigli pasta (substitute conchiglie or orecchiette)

50g baby spinach leaves (optional)

1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp za’atar

Instructions

Step 1

Put the olive oil into a large saute pan and place on a high heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, anchovies, lemon skin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Reduce the heat to medium-high, then add the chickpeas and sugar, and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas begin to brown and crisp up. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice, and simmer for 6 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside. You can make this in advance, if you like, and warm through before serving.

Step 2

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Step 3

Stir the spinach and parsley into the chickpeas: the residual heat of the sauce should cook the spinach, but if it doesn’t wilt, just warm the chickpeas gently on the stove. Transfer pasta to the chickpeas and stir to combine. Divide among four bowls and sprinkle the za’atar on top. Finish with a drizzle of oil, and serve.