If there are any things that you eat that are really easy to prepare (not more difficult than cooking pasta), Vaporeon wants to hear about it

@vaporeon_

1) put oil to large skillet or pot
2) add a sprig of thyme and two drained cans of chickpeas. stir for a couple minutes
3) add some tomato paste and stir.
4) add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil
5) add a pound of some small pasta, or spaghetti noodles broken into small pieces
6) stir periodically so noodles don't stick to bottom
7) serve with cheese and red pepper flakes

@wallhackio Can you help me make this dish this evening? I'm still confused about some things, but if you're online to explain, I will try it.

@vaporeon_ oh hey vappy, I'm very late to this. Do you still have questions?

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ I'm (probably? we're blendy right now) still switched in right now, but Vaporeon was confused about how you don't add any water to the chickpeas. Do you really just add a little oil and the chickpeas and expose them directly to the heat, without any water?

@wadi @vaporeon_ yeah the oil infused with rosemary will add some flavor to the chickpeas :)

You stir them around for a minute or so to let flavors get to know each other and then add water afterwards

But if you want to keep things simple you can just add water with the chickpeas immediately that will also be good

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ So if we want to keep it as simple as possible, then we immediately mix the thyme (or rosemary?), the chick peas, the tomato paste, and the water, and then turn on the stove and wait until the water boils?

@wadi @vaporeon_ yes that will work. Do mash the chickpeas before adding pasta, the creamy texture of the broth is really important to the recipe

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ Hmm... Put the chickpeas in the pot first, mash them with the potato masher, then add all the other stuff and start boiling it?

@wadi @vaporeon_ you can mash them in the boiling water

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ Can I also do it before the water starts boiling, or ideally even before adding the water at all? That seems easier.

@wadi @vaporeon_ sure

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ OK, the chickpeas have been mashed. How much oil?

@wadi @vaporeon_ I measure oil with my heart, but a 1/4 cup of oil is a normal amount for larger meals

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ That sounds like a huge amount of oil. Can I just pour it until it covers the bottom of the pot, like I would for a frying pan, or do I need more oil than that?

@wadi @vaporeon_ yeah I just cover the bottom

In my stockpot that usually ends up being around 1/4 cup but I never measure it in practice

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ I've mixed the oil and the thyme and the chickpeas and the tomato paste, now what heat do I cook it on? Just put it on maximum, like for boiling the water later? Are 2 minutes enough?

@wadi @vaporeon_ I would do a medium heat

@wadi @vaporeon_ but it's not a big deal either way

@wallhackio @vaporeon_ What do I do if the pasta does not soak up a sufficient amount of water? Add more pasta and cook for ${pasta_cooking_time} more minutes? Just pour the excess water into the sink?

@wadi @vaporeon_ I would keep boiling until the water reduces into a creamy sauce