Continuing to draw inspiration from this month’s issue of Food & Wine, this is another recipe that stood out from the many wonderful offerings celebrating “The New Healthy.” Last week, we explored the concept of healthy indulgence with a Chocolate Peanut Pudding from the same issue, but this week we wanted to experiment with something in the hearty, stick-to-your-ribs category. Chef Missy Robbins—of the chic-but-cozy Italian eatery Lilia in Brooklyn—contributed an alternative to a traditional Pasta Pomodoro with her Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce and one reading of the recipe had all of the adaptation “bells and whistles” blaring away. The thought of using chickpeas in place of pasta obviously appealed to the gluten free bent of this blog, but the thing that really sparked the inspiration for this adaptation was the sauce. Boasting tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes, it instantly lent itself to easy (i.e. necessary) replacement with our Spicy Tomato Oil. Since that recipe yields a full quart of oil and is so simple to make, there always seems to be some on hand. Naturally, we’re always on the lookout for new and creative ways to take advantage of its distinctive, delicious flavors.
This dish was kind of a shoo-in in that regard, especially considering that chickpeas have the same ability as any pasta to absorb and “carry” a sauce. The thought of those protein and fiber rich legumes doing an old school, Esther Williams-style water ballet in that glorious oil was far too enticing to ignore.
Wanting to shepherd the dish into the heartier, cold weather stew category, rather than leave it as a mere pasta alternative, Kyle added sausage to the mix. It’s a sweet chicken sausage, so the healthy spirit of the original was honored and actually improved upon, since the addition of even more protein prompted a doubling of the amount of kale to balance it out. This also gave the stew more structure and a lovely, appetizing color contrast—not to mention an extra dose of vitamins. All good things.
The initial browning of the sausage provided yet another advantage in that it called for deglazing the pan. In our world, 99.999999% of the time that means wine is getting added to the dish. Boom! We used a Grüner Veltliner from the Finger Lakes (of course), which added a wonderful acidity to the dish, imparting some fruit and white pepper notes that complemented the sausage in particular. (It didn’t exactly hurt the Spicy Tomato Oil, either.) You can use a sauvignon blanc to similar effect, and it’s likely to be much easier to find.
Feel free to skip the sausage if you’re looking for a wonderful vegetarian stew. You might even want to incorporate a medley of meaty, sautéed mushrooms instead, giving you the option of using a nice buttery chardonnay in the dish. Either way, you’ll end up with a wintertime go-to that is as deeply satisfying as it is deeply flavored. Top the whole thing off with some grated parmesan or a beautiful, briny pecorino and you’re in business.
Given that each component is so complex and dimensional on its own, once they are all combined you’ll have a dish that tastes like it simmered all day. In reality, if you already have the tomato oil on hand—and if you don’t, go to your room—this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and will have you sated and warm in no time at all. In other words, you can give both the pizza delivery guy and your electric blanket the night off. You’ve got this. Enjoy!
Inspired by Food & Wine.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sausage (I used sweet chicken sausage)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups spicy tomato oil
- One pound bunch of Tuscan kale, stemmed and chopped
- Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Grated Parmesan,for serving
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add wine and ½ cup water and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook, turning sausage regularly, until liquid has reduced by half, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage from the pot and slice into ½ -inch thick pieces.
- Add the spicy tomato oil and another ½ cup of water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir the kale into the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Spoon into bowls and top with grated cheese and serve hot.
Leave a Reply