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The Chorizo And Chickpea Stew looks very good, but being a novice cook I have one question: does the spaghettini or vermicelli have to be fresh or pre-cooked or can one use dried pasta?
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Nigella's Chorizo And Chickpea Stew (from KITCHEN) is a quick to cook supper that can be made almost completely with storecupboard ingredients. The stew is served with a bulgur wheat pilaf that includes thin pasta, such as vermicelli or spaghettini. Adding pasta to bulgur wheat may sound unusual but is common for this type of dish in several countries, including Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.
The pasta is toasted first as this adds a slightly nutty flavour that complements the bulgur wheat. You need to use dried pasta as fresh pasta has too much moisture to brown properly. If you use spaghettini then you need to break it into short lengths (approximately 3cm/1 inch) first. If you have vermicelli that comes as nests (or small bundles) then you need to break up the nests into small pieces first.
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