Rating: 💋 💋 😘
So, this is a very special post. I got a Saturday off from work* so I could attend my first ever film premiere! There would be no red carpet, as this was a Zoom function, but I allowed myself to get excited anyway. I wore a new dress and put on a bit of make-up just to make things feel a little celebratory.
The festival's schedule was packed with cool workshops that I attended - and even hosted - throughout the day. There were no slots for mealtimes though. It was a transnational event, so I guess our mealtimes were too different to be taken into account. Still, you know me - I get hungry. I had only snuck a smoothie for lunch and it was very delicious, but that is not the kind of energy that stays with you. I simply had to have time to cook a real dinner.
I decided to multitask, attending the poetry workshop while prepping my meal. I had no choice, or I would never have time to finish cooking before the movie premiered. The film was the whole point! I could not miss it. The problem with me simultaneously trying to do a poetry exercise while cooking is that, when I shopped for my kitchen supplies, I failed to get a can opener. I actually consciously opted out of getting one because I cannot use them. They designed can openers for right-handed people. It would be a total waste for me to have one. If only they stocked left-handed can openers at Target.*Sigh*
I then proceeded to get all excited about a pasta recipe that had chickpeas as the star of the show.
Chickpeas generally come in a can.
The morning of the festival, I realized my error, but there was simply no time.
Boiling the pasta water had to take a backseat as I spent the workshop rubbing the edge of the can with a spoon to no avail. That was the internet's big idea: if you do not have a can opener, use a metal spoon to grind the lid of the can down into submission. Google seriously overestimated my muscular abilities. I think it would take me about a year to wear down a can lid with a spoon, but still I tried.
And this is how I met my first neighbor. So, Brooke down the hall probably thinks that I am crazy, because I showed up on her doorstep with a battered can of chickpeas and a meek smile. All the same, she had a can opener that she was capable of using. She helped me get the can open, and we were in business.
I wonder how she feels, walking through life, knowing she has the power to open a can whenever she wants. Hm. How the other half live, I guess.
This taught me many things: 1) I need an electric can opener 2) I need to take stock of my kitchen supplies if I don't want to have to live on take out 3) Spoons are only useful tools if you are the Hulk 4) I should probably marry someone who is right-handed. It is statistically likely anyway, but knowing me. *sighs*
Rigatoni with Sausage, Chickpeas & Arugula
Makes: 4 servings Time: about 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 (1-lb) box rigatoni
- 4 sausage links, crumbled (pork or chicken, I did a spicy Italian chicken but it is your choice) *can be omitted to make this dish vegetarian
- 1/3 cup EVOO, plus more for serving
- 1 (15.5-oz) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups of arugula
- 1 lemon, grated to create 2 tsp zest and squeezed to produce 2 tsp juice
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Preparation:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add rigatoni and cook for about 11 minutes. Drain pasta and pour back into the drained pot. Reserve 1/4 pasta water.
- Meanwhile, simmer crumbled sausage in a medium pan over medium heat. Add oil, chickpeas, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the chickpeas are crispy. Some of the beans may burst open - that is totally fine. Then, add in the reserved pasta water and stir for about 1-2 minutes, until it creates a nice, glossy sauce.
- Add chickpea and sausage mixture, arugula, zest, juice and Parmesan to the pot of pasta. Stir to coat evenly.
- Serve each plate with a nice drizzle of oil and a fresh sprinkling of Parmesan. Enjoy!
Shannon arrived just as the pasta was finishing. I got her a glass of Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc, joy straight from the Napa Valley, vintage 2019, while she toured my apartment for the first time. It was far from done, but I think as presentable as it could be. I was in no way embarrassed, at least. Then, I poured a glass of wine for myself because hey - celebration! and fixed a plate. We sat down in front of my little laptop in my room and watched the film's debut.
I think the oil and parmesan step at the end is crucial to keeping this pasta from being too dry or bland. The spice of the sausage added a really nice pairing with the lemony arugula, and the pasta absorbed all the flavors up delightfully. I honestly loved adding the drizzle of oil; it gave the dish a really delicate olive flavor and tasted so fancy with so minimal ingredients. It wasn't quite popcorn, but I was not at all disappointed about that.
I had so much fun watching the film with Shannon. Her reactions were the best and we were quite the peanut gallery. It was crazy to see the final product after working on it for so long. Having my sister with me and my parents flooding our group chat with texts meant so much. Shannon and I talked into the night after the film ended, and it was really a lovely Saturday night off.
Happy two years to the blog! Wow - that feels so crazy to say. Thinking back on what my life looked like back then, it feels like yesterday, but it just as easily feels like looking in on the world of a totally different person. I guess that I was a different person though, in a way. I suppose the ******** could be the culprit for that time warp mentality. I feel so disembodied from my life prior and yet, I traveled away from it and to where I am now over the course of all these posts. So thank you! I feel better than I have in years, since before I can remember, and it has been such a blessing getting to that point with you all by my side. I have had so much fun sending these little posts out each week, and I am so grateful for my readers. Thank you all so much for hopping along on this adventure with me. This community is the best and I cannot wait to see what comes next for us. Love you 💛
XX,
MK
* This is an unheard of feat in the restaurant industry!
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