Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chickpeas

Via Moderate Oven 

You can roast chickpeas a hundred different ways. I use the extra step of marinating here to infuse the chickpeas with lemon flavor, but you can make a simpler version just by drying the chickpeas then tossing with olive oil and any spice or seasoning that appeals to you. Experiment!

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked chickpeas
the juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon finely grated zest from the lemon
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried herb such as basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, etc (optional)

Directions:
Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pressed garlic in a bowl. Mix well and allow the chickpeas to marinate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400.
Drain the chickpeas but do not rinse. Return them to the bowl then gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Toss them in the olive oil and salt, pepper, granulated garlic and herb of your choice. Spread the chickpeas on a lightly greased baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast the chickpeas for 30-40 minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, use a spatula to roll the chickpeas around for even browning. Some of the chickpeas may pop like popcorn as they cook, so be careful when you are stirring them. Take them out when they are crunchy and deep golden brown with some dark caramelized spots.
Try not to eat them until they’ve cooled enough to not burn your tongue. These are best eaten the day they’re made, but store extras in an airtight container at room temperature.

Robusto Pesto

Ingredients:

4 cups basil leaves

4 garlic cloves

1/4 c. pine nuts

1 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 c. Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (finely shredded)
Coarse salt

Additional ingredients for bruschetta:
fresh mozzarella cheese (cut into slices)
tomatoes (cut into thin rounds)
onions (thinly sliced)
balsamic vinaigrette
Artisan bread (sliced)
basil leaves

Directions:
1. Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and about 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse the machine on and off, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is chopped but not pureed; add a bit more oil if necessary.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the remaining olive oil or as much as you need to get a loose paste.  Then stir in the Parmesan cheese and add salt.  It should be fairly salty and somewhat gritty at this point.  If you're using it as a pasta sauce, the key is to thin the pesto with a few tablespoons of pasta water before tossing it with the noodles.  If you're spooning it over meat, fish or poultry, make it a little on the thicker side (you can easily do so by adding more cheese). 

To make bruschetta:
1. Drizzle olive oil on bread and toast in the oven. 
2. Add pesto thickly to bread.
3. Top with tomatoes and onions.
4. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette.
5. Top with one round of mozzarella and a few fresh basil leaves.

Pasta Sauce

This recipe was given to us by Jon's parents. It has been passed down year to year, generation to generation, and is one of the best pasta sauces I have ever had!

Ingredients:
1 can Hunt's Traditional or Garlic Herb sauce
1 lb. hamburger
1 whole onion
1 tsp. oregano (generous)
1 tsp. basil, salt, and pepper to taste
1 Tb. brown sugar,
1/4 c. parsley
Mild Italian Sausage

Directions:
Mix together and cook on low for 3-6 hours.