Winter comfort on a plate - Pasta With Chickpeas, Onions and Oregano

I’m back in Milan again and living yet another time in a world out of phase: it is freezing cold and frost is the leitmotif of the world surrounding me yet I’m here right in the middle of Spring, lots of flowers and pastel colours because I am working on a small ‘book’ on Easter food, it is nice because it is a commercial job but done in editorial style without any special products to highlight, just lots and lots of food. And light and colours that gives me hope of a brighter future soon.

But lets get back to winter, chickpeas are good all year round but I think they taste the best in winter,  maybe because they have more of a comfort factor when it is cold. This dish is the result of reading Laura's blog post over at Tiramisu' where she has decided to empty her pantry, I started thinking about my own pantry and realized that I really should do that too so I am adhering to her quest and this is my first dish in this series. I realize that if I blog every time I work on that, not only could I go on for ages but I fear that it would too revealing for my own good. But we will see.

 This is really a very easy dish to prepare, while the pasta cooks, you make the chickpea 'sauce' if it can be called like that so in less than 30 minutes you can start swirling and twirling your fork! (If you use spagetti that is)

PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS, ONIONS AND OREGANO
serves 4

400-500 g/14-17,5 ounce pasta
1 can of chickpeas
1 onion
a good pinch of dried oregano. You can also use thyme or other herbs
chili pepper, optional
lemon juice
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

  While the pasta cooks, slice the onion and cook them gently in a skillet for 3-4 minutes.

   Add the chickpeas, oregano and a little chili pepper and go on cooking for another 8-10 minutes. If you want, you can mash a part of the chickpeas with a fork. Squeeze a little lemon juice over.

   Drain the pasta a minute before it is cooked and add it to the skillet, stir and cook for a minute and then serve.