I guess if someone was to ask me if I had a signature dish, I’d say this one! Although I’ll note that this is a question I never thought I would receive, because until the last few years, my answer would’ve been ‘call for takeout’. But this is a dish I can confidently whip up anytime, anywhere. I love that it all comes from pantry staples, like canned tomatoes and dried oregano. Or you could make yourself look like a fancy pants and buy fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and simmer that garlic like a real chef! But the key, no matter, is the harissa. It’s a Tunisian spice that you squeeze out of a tube, and the result is this smoky and delicious flavour I fell in love with.”

 

Serves 2

1 package chickpea spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon onion powder (optional)
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon dried oregano (optional)
1 tablespoon dried parsley (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons harissa paste, plus additional to taste
½ cup chopped basil, plus additional for serving

 

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and stir to ensure that the pasta does not clump together. Boil until just al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the noodles. Rinse the chickpea noodles under cold water until completely cool. Set aside.

Make the sauce. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion powder, if using. Sauté, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not let brown. Add the cherry tomatoes and dried herbs, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and harissa paste and cook for 3 minutes more. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper, and additional harissa paste, if desired. (The pasta sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet.)

Serve. Add the pasta to the sauce, along with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pasta water to thin, if necessary. The sauce should be thick and concentrated, but just loose enough to coat the noodles easily. Cook for 1 minute more, tossing to combine. Add the chopped basil, gently fold to combine, and divide among serving plates. Serve immediately, topping each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and additional basil.

 

Extracted from Rebel Homemaker by Drew Barrymore and Pilar Valdes (Penguin Random House).