WHB #107 - Loving Rosemary

Filed in archive From Garden to Table , Recipes on November 3, 2007

Weekend Herb Blogging is being hosted this week by it's lovely creator, Kalyn, at Kalyn's Kitchen.




One of my favorite herbs is rosemary, I just love it's heady aroma and piney, woodsy flavor. Everywhere I've ever lived, I've planted a little balcony pot or plant of rosemary...and it has thrived!
I definitely cannot say the same for the basil plants I've tried to grow!

The health benefits of rosemary are reason enough to love this herb.

Rosemary contains substances that are useful for stimulating the immune system, increasing circulation, and improving digestion. Rosemary also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that may make it useful for reducing the severity of asthma attacks. In addition, rosemary has been shown to increase the blood flow to the head and brain, improving concentration.

The recipe I made for Weekend Herb Blogging is basically a super thick little pasta and chickpea soup that is one of my old standby recipes. (yes, more chickpeas! I love them!) I always have little pasta noodles, canned tomatoes and chickpeas in the cupboard and we have rosemary flourishing in the garden, so it is one of those staring-at-the-pantry-wondering-what-to-make-for-dinner dishes. And we love it!





Chickpea Soup With Pasta
inspired by Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
serves 4-6

3/4 cup dried chick-peas or 2 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, drained
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1, 2-3 inch sprig of fresh rosemary
1 cup canned whole Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped, with their juice
3 cups beef broth
1/2 pound small, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Sauté the garlic cloves in the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. When the garlic is nice and browned, remove it.
Add the rosemary to the oil, stir for a second, then add the crushed tomatoes and their juice.
Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes separate from the oil.
Add the drained chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring them in the sauce.
Add 1 cup of the broth, bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to keep the liquid at a steady, moderate boil for 15 minutes.
Taste and correct for salt, add freshly ground pepper, and allow to boil about 1 minute more.
Purée 1/2 of the soup with an immersion blender, through the large holes of a food mill or in a food processor.
Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the little pasta noodles, cover and cook over moderate heat until the noodles are almost done, but firm to the bite. This will depend upon which pasta you use.
When the pasta is done, take the pan off the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan and the butter.
Put a serving into each bowl, drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more Parmesan.
Serve and enjoy!