Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the sage leaves a few at a time. ** The oil should sputter and the leaves will flatten out and turn a deeper shade of green. Take them out of the oil before their edges start to brown. Transfer the fried leaves to a plate and repeat with the remaining leaves.2 tbsp olive oil, 12 sage leaves
- Add the garlic to the hot oil and cook until they turn golden. Pour the content of the skillet through a fine mesh strainer suspended over a heat-proof jar. Transfer the garlic chips to the plate with the sage and return the strained oil to the skillet.2 cloves garlic
- Add the shallot and a generous pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook until just translucent. Stir in the preserved lemon and sauté for a minute more. Add the chickpeas to the skillet and the lemon juice. Bring everything up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the skillet and let cook for 10 minutes.3 shallots, 1 preserved lemon, 1 (540ml, 19 fl oz) can chickpeas, 2 lemons
- While the chickpeas are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Drain the pasta, retaining about a cup of the pasta cooking water.250g (9oz) uncooked orecchiette
- Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the butter and sprinkle in the cheese while stirring constantly. Add splashes of the pasta water whenever the sauce becomes too gloopy.2 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- Spoon the finished pasta onto plates and top with the garlic chips and crispy sage leaves. Finish with a couple of grinds of fresh ground pepper and serve immediately.Fresh ground pepper
Notes
** Only add a few leaves to the oil at a time so you can keep track of them. The sage leaves will fry very quickly, so it's important not to overwhelm yourself with too many leaves.