Life is Perfectly Imperfect.
The last three weeks have been blurry, chaotic, rushed, and imperfect in a way. My car is messy, it looks like my garage has been hit by a mini torpedo, and my carpet, in a few places, looks muddy. While folding laundry, I noticed my teen’s pants have rips…. I had to be careful that my little human boy has not been bitten in his private area ;). I am more jittery, forgetful and haven’t got the time to spend a cozy huggy time with my human boys.
WE GOT A PUPPY. Waffles. He is a doll, a sweet sweet baby who turns rowdy for just a few minutes a day.
Yes, my laundry doesn’t get done fast enough. My to-do list has been growing a little bit too fast, nothing gets ticked off. As I drive off to a meeting, I have puppy hair on my pants. My hair smells like Waffles, our home suddenly smells like a puppy.
I haven’t had anyone cling to my feet in 10 yrs. All I do now is send pictures of Waffles shake hands, behave and just his cutest little pointy ears to everyone who shows the merest interest. I’m like this crazy mamma.
As crazy as life sounds and looks right now, isn’t it what it is all about?! Life is a learning process. Sometimes, small simple struggles are exactly what we need in our life. I had a period when everything was calm, and life was always quiet and peaceful. Now, I appreciate the peace and silence, even if it’s for an hour a day. When we have it all, we don’t miss it. Why do we only miss something when it’s taken away?
I like my chaos. I love my Waffles, the energy and endless kisses and love he gives us. I like that my boys feel responsible for someone. I feel COMPLETE.
Loving life in all it’s imperfections is the best. Don’t you agree?
This pasta, in a way, is what I call my accidental recipe gone good. A bit of this, a touch of that, and some cheese, and it’s perfect in all it’s hotchpotch mess.
Butter Bean Walnut Hummus and Broccoli-Spinach Butter Bean Pasta
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Ash
Recipe type: Appetizer Lunch
Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the Hummus
- 2 16 oz cans butter beans rinsed and drained or 1 cup dried beans soaked in water overnight
- 6 cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ lemon zest
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro(optional) or parsley
- 1 tsp toasted and crushed cumin
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp of freshly cracked pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp water
For the pasta
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 head of broccoli chopped to small 1 inch size
- 1 cup of chickpeas/garbanzo cooked(use canned or cooked)
- 1 cup packed spinach finely chopped
- ½ cup of the hummus
- ½ cup pasta water
- 4 cups cooked wheat/semolina fusili pasta
- Pepper jack cheese to top the pasta with or flavored hard cheese
Instructions
For the Hummus
- If you are using dry beans, soak it in water overnight. Cook with 4 cups of water with NO SALT. After about 15 minutes, check if it is cooked. Then add some salt, let it sit in the salted water for few minutes and drain. This way you will ensure that the beans are lightly salted and it does not get tough or rubbery. Cool before making hummus.
- If you are using canned, it's very easy, just drain and rinse well before using.
- Add everything for the hummus in a food processor except for the water and whip and grind it under a coarse paste is formed. If you want add a few tablespoons of water to make it slighly thinner. The thicker consistency is great for dips with crackers or bread sticks.
For the Pasta.
- Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes in salted water or until al dente. Drain it, keep some pasta water aside.
- In a saute pan, add a tbsp of olive oil, let it get hot and add the fennel seeds and let it splutter. Add the chopped broccoli and salt it, saute and cook for a minute. Then add the chickpeas and the spinach and saute until the spinach wilts. Add the hummus and add hot pasta water to water it down and mix well. Add the cooked pasta, mix through and turn off the heat.
- Add the cheese and serve immediately.
