Pasta With Chickpeas and a Negroni

Maybe my proportions were off and I'd have to make it again, but I was not impressed. The Negroni really was the most compelling part about this recipe.

The Negroni, like the Stinger and the martini, is a combination of great subtlety, experiment with small variations in the proportions of the various ingredients. Try gin instead of vodka. You'll be surprised at the magnitude of the differences. Discover what pleases you. If you need to be careful around the booze, just pour a tiny, tablespoon size drink for yourself and save the rest for your friends. Or, as winemakers do, just take sips and spit them out.

Finally made this tonight, after wanting to for years. After a day supervising 4th graders I had the Negroni before staring cooking. I added chopped Swiss chard and a couple orange rinds with the cinnamon. I’m gluten free so alas the only unique pasta shape I could find was bow ties, which worked beautifully. I used organic Italian crushed tomatoes, and omitted the tomato paste. Turned out so delicious I had to make another Negroni to pace myself.

This is now a staple in my house. It is my default thing to make for myself when my partner is out with his own friends. (I have made it for the two of us a few times, as well, but I feel he doesn’t quite appreciate its glorious simplicity as much as I do.) I follow the recipe exactly but sometimes I add a little extra pinch of ground cinnamon — I really love the cinnamon note — and I usually open a bottle of red wine instead of making Negronis, because I am lazy.

I didn't have gin, vermouth, or Campari, so I used whiskey, pink Moscato, and Aperol with a dash of Suze orange bitters instead. I don't know how close that is to a Negroni, but it was very tasty! Made the pasta pretty much as written; used penne because that was all I had. Shells or orecchiete would've been better. Excellent and easy.

I loved this no-recipe recipe and enjoyed it while sipping a Too Soon (Cynar-based cocktail) since a Negroni knocks me out. I used lumaconi shells, and many of the chickpeas slide right in and hide there. It's wonderful with chickpeas. The pasta dish was very flavorful.

I substituted a vodka martini for the Negroni and smoked sausage for the chickpeas, and we loved the result.

I am right in line with Ian, but to increase the probability that I might be vertical long enough to actually cook some food along with my sipping, I have concocted a variation on the Negroni. We call it a champroni: Replace the gin with a dry, not terribly expensive sparkling wine, like a spanish cava. Lighter, less alcoholic and inspired us to add some chorizo to the sauce.

Very tasty, but I forgot to mix in the cream at the end—I blame the Negroni(s).

A staple at our house now, super easy to build on, or perfect as is. Last night I added roasted eggplant from the freezer and a few golden raisins then converted to a casserole with mozzarella topping - a success! Any kind of pasta will do, but annelini and ditalini work well.

This was the perfect mid-week, at-home date night dinner! Simple and satisfying.

Came great! I left out the oil. Still tasted delicious and the Negroni was so good!

Finally made this! Delicious, but I find this dish even better when the pasta and chickpeas are cooked with the sauce. Next time, I’ll throw in the chickpeas at the same time as the tomatoes, and just stir until the pasta is ready. That way, the chickpeas soften up a bit and take on more of the overall flavor of the dish.

I’ve made this several times (with Negroni) and every time it’s a delight!

I love the idea of a Negroni but it always feels too sweet. Now I make it with amaro instead of sweet vermouth and add a squeezed lemon. Maybe this isn’t a Negroni anymore, but it’s good!