The Stretchable Pantry

 One thing the pandemic has taught us is that our pantries are expandable. We can make do with a little if need be. We can be creative with a can of beans or a box of pasta. There's no need for long , elaborate lists.

 Famed chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section. He too has changed his shopping and cooking habits thanks to the shutdowns in his hometown of London. His philosophy is  it's OK to use what you have on hand. it doesn't matter if you have the wrong herbs. Use something similar.  Don't despair if you don't have certain kind of pasta needed for a recipe. Rifle through your pantry and see if there's a similar fit. As options become more limited, then become more resourceful and creative. With this , Chef Ottolenghi gives a tasty recipe for fried tagliatelle with chickpeas and smoky tomatoes. Home chefs don't have to follow this to a tee. You can use other "nested" pastas like fettucini or pappardelle. The sauce is a smoky tomato oil. Play around with it. Add different chilis and spices instead of the ones he recommends.Try cumin instead of sweet paprika, Do't worry if there's no parsley. The dish will taste just as good without it.

His recipe is a good one, perfect for now or months from now when hopefully we go to a new normal. The star of the recipe is the smoky oil sauce. This is datterini or cherry tomatoes charred and then cooked with olive oil and tomato paste. Chipotle chili flakes and sweet paprika bring the fire and heat. It's all cooked for fifteen minutes and then the tagliatelle nests are added. These are basically fried on both sides until golden, namely about two to two and a half minutes.. It's then setting them aside and rinsing out the pan (save the oil). Boil the  soaked chickpeas in a mix of water and baking soda, skimming the scum off the surface as needed. Cook them for fifteen more minutes on a medium low heat after boiling. Cover them.  They should be sift in texture yet retaining their shape. It's then nestling in garlic and the tagliatelli nests. Cook until the pasta is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Squeeze juice from freshly squeezed lemons over this and then spoon the oil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Panties and how we cook is changing thanks to the pandemic. It's more of using what's in the pantry instead of what's not. Be creative. Be resourceful and you can still come up with delicious dishes.