In 2010, New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton posted a version of this dish as one of the 15 best things he ate that entire year. “It sounds like hippie chickpeas with spaghetti, I know,” wrote Sifton, before going on to praise it in prose that sounded more like poetry (it “evokes nothing so much as a coastal forest.”)

The original recipe was from the restaurant Del Posto, which had recently been awarded a rare four-star review. So I probably shouldn’t mess with it… But here goes: I increase the vegetable, and add silky ventresca tuna belly. And I punch up the flavor by replacing nutty grated Parmigiano Reggiano with sharper, more assertive pecorino romano.

At the table, this dish isn’t just food; it’s theater. Credit that to the bonito flakes. Native to Japan, bonito flakes are paper-thin shreds of dried, fermented fish. In addition to adding intense umami flavor to anything they touch, they bend and twist, crinkle and spin, when exposed to heat. Sprinkle them on something still hot: it looks like they’re dancing. 

serves 3-4

• 8 oz einkorn (or other ancient grain) spaghetti
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas.
• 1 Tbsp olive oil for sauteeing
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed
• 1 medium carrot, diced about the size of chickpeas
• 1 stalk celery, diced about the size of chickpeas
• 1 small, or 1/2 medium red onion, medium dice
• 1 6.7-oz jar tuna Ventresca in olive oil
• 1/2 oz bonito flakes
• high quality olive oil for drizzling
• good Parm or pecorino romano, ground
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the garlic and rosemary in the oil over low heat about 10 minutes.
2. Raise the heat to medium, and add the carrot, celery, and onion. Stir often until carrots are al dente soft, another ~10 minutes.
3. Discard (compost!) the garlic and rosemary. Add the can of chick peas, including its liquid, to the mix. Continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by about half.
4. Cook pasta, drain, add to the pan, and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add about 2 Tbsp olive oil from the tuna jar, plus salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve hot, with a portion of tuna, a drizzle of finishing oil, a dusting of cheese, and a generous sprinkle of bonito at the table. 

“An Oaxacan Lasagna”

I’ve always loved mole (pronounced mo-LAY).  Hailing from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, mole is a deeply flavorful sauce made from roasted chiles (don’t worry, they’re pretty mild), nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices, and a little cacao.   The result is staggeringly complex yet completely harmonious, and goes down easy like comfort food – on rice, with meat, or over enchiladas (which we then call enmoladas).  The problem is, a good mole needs a few dozen ingredients, and a day or more of cooking.   Meanwhile, the stuff from a can usually isn’t worth it. Luckily, there’s a new brand called Ya Oaxaca that finally gets it right.  We’ll start there.   

There are vibrant green moles and piquant red moles.  I love them all! Here, we’re going to use the most famous mole, black mole, mole negro, which is mild and sweet.  Traditionally, mole is paired with pork, but we’ll go vegetarian with butternut squash, Pumfu™ (an awesome pumpkinseed tofu that’s high in protein), and black beans.  You can even go full vegan if you swap out the dairy for plant cheese.  And of course you can use chicken or pork, too, although I find they work better without the butternut, and with a sharper mole rojo.   (The dish on the right, above, is exactly that).

The end result is simple to make, super-delicious and quite healthy: nuts, seeds, plant protein, black beans, whole grains, and some vegetable.  And it serves like lasagna.   

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 jar Ya Oaxaca mole negro
• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained
• 1 10-oz bag frozen cubed butternut squash
• 1 ½ C broth (mushroom, vegetable, chicken…) or even water 
• 1 8-oz package Pumfu™ 
• 8 corn tortillas (I used sprouted corn)
• 6 oz shredded “Mexican blend” cheese 
• Optional: pickled onions or radish, cotija cheese, lime

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 12-inch Dutch oven or high-walled saucepan, simmer the mole with the beans, butternut and broth until it thickens to coat the spoon, about 5 minutes. 

2. Slice the Pumfu™ into thin planks about an inch long.  Add to the sauce and stir to coat.   

3. Remove and reserve 2/3 of the mole mix from the Dutch oven.  Spread the remaining third evenly across the bottom, and place four corn tortillas on top. 

4. Continue layering: spread half the cheese over the tortillas; half the reserved sauce/stew over that. Lay on another 4 tortillas, the rest of the cheese, and the remaining mole. 

5. Bake at 400 around 20 minutes, or until everything looks nice.   

6. Let it cool before serving, otherwise it will fall apart.  (Conversely, just let it fall apart).   Serve with pickled onions, radish, cotija cheese, and lime.   

This is the first dish I ever “invented” for myself in college, and I remember being quite proud of it at the time. It tasted great, contained all the food groups, was idiot-proof, cheap, and filling. I was a genius!  As the decades passed, my pride diminished somewhat (for example, I now recognize this as basically a low-rent jambalaya), although my enjoyment remains intact.     

With all its veggies and protein, this dish is a one-pot meal. It’s mostly not rice. But the rice is the glue that holds everything else together.  To be clear, this is no delicate, refined basmati pilaf where every grain is separate. We make this with short-grain brown sticky rice. It’s a sticky dish. It sticks to the ribs. 

Can you leave the meat out? Absolutely!  (You can sub in some veggie meat, or nothing at all).  Can you top it with fried egg? Absolutely! Same goes for sliced avocado or even a dollop of sour cream. Can you change up the vegetables, the spice palate, and the proportions? You bet. This is a very forgiving recipe.  

Serves 6

• 1 C short-grain brown rice
• 1 15-oz can pink or black beans, drained
• ¼ C extra virgin olive or raw sesame oil
• 16 oz ground turkey
• 1 medium-large red onion
• 1-6 cloves garlic
• 4 medium carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 large or 2 medium bell peppers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 small can (6-8 oz) tomato paste
• ½ cup pecorino romano cheese (the real stuff, if it doesn’t say “pecorino” don’t use it)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Start your rice cooking. Two parts water, one part rice, simmer on low, covered, for around 45 minutes. Check towards the end if it’s drying out, and add more water as needed.  
2. Chop all the vegetables into pieces roughly the size of beans. Feel free to add some chili peppers if you like it spicy.  
3. In a Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottom pot, over medium heat, brown turkey in the oil, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.  ¼ C oil is perfect if you’re using dark meat turkey. For leaner white meat, use a little more.  
4. Add all the other chopped vegetables, and continue cooking until they’re sort of soft, but not super-mushy.
5. Add the tomato paste, cumin, and oregano, and cook until the tomato paste starts to brown around the edges of the pot a little bit.  That browning gives you a little extra flavor. You’re going to want to stir and scrape regularly at this stage, with a wooden spoon. 
6. Now stir in the beans, cooked rice, and romano cheese. Adjust salt and pepper. Sprinkle on some more cheese if you want and/or some hot sauce. Or a South Indian podi (flavoring powder). Whatever. Enjoy!