I don’t know how many times I have looked at a can of chic peas wondering what I was going to do with it. Take being married. After the years roll by, perfectly happy going to one of 3 places to eat and reading the paper after toast on Sunday and waking up next to the same (granted) beautiful face for the 5,840th time, you can begin to ask yourself, but what if we tried something different?

Last night, I didn’t have it in me. I sauteed a shallot (use 2 for more flavor–I’m feeding an eight year old) and two cloves of paper thin garlic with a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of parsley, s&p and a peperoncino (a few red pepper flakes are fine in olive oil, and a slice of bacon fat that I had saved from breakfast. Add the juice from a 28 oz. can can of San Marzano tomatoes. Reduce til there is barely the hint of liquid. Remove the peperoncino. Add 4 drops of your best balsamic. Bacon and balsamic are the pom poms on the hem. Add can of well rinsed chic peas and a cup of homemade stock. Simmer to deliciousness. Get your pasta going on the side and cook until seriously al dente. Add the sauce along with a handful of Parmigiano or Grana Padana. Taste for salt and pepper.

Out on a limb, I used whole wheat macaroni and braced myself for the complaints. Registered: 0