Gabriella Pession - Chickpeas, Pearls of the Mediterranean #ItalianTASTE

On the occasion of World Week of Italian Cuisine the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles is happy to present "CHICKPEAS, PEARLS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN" by GABRIELLA PESSION

NUTRITIONAL FACTS AND ANECDOTES
Legumes should not be missing in the daily diet, both fresh and dried.
The best-known legumes are beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peas and lentils and among these the chickpeas represent the third most consumed legume in the world, after soy and beans.
They are considered to belong to traditional italian “cucina povera” (peasant foods) for their simplicity and low costs, and not because they are poor in taste or nutritional properties.
Chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based proteins but are also a source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and B vitamins.
Although legumes are a good source of proteins, they provide an optimal combination of proteins with a high nutritional value when combined with whole grains such as "pasta and chickpeas", as all the essential amino acids are present.
One of the most illustrious Roman citizens of the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero (Cicerone) was so named for a bump on the nose of one of his ancestors, which resembled a chickpea in shape, in Latin cicer.

WINE PAIRING:
Today we have chickpeas as protagonists of Gabriella’s Pasta e Ceci. These beans are highly proteic, and as such succulent and with a sweet tendency. The presence of garlic and rosemary makes the platter slightly aromatic, with a subtle but still persistent flavor. We also have tomato paste that colors it and makes a red wine perfect to pair with this recipe. So to satisfy the rule of contrast, we need a wine sufficiently alcoholic and astringent in order to balance the sweetness of both pasta and the chickpeas; but the pairing has to be balanced not to overwhelm the dish, so the wine can be red but it has to be dry, fresh and young.
Our best bet would be an ASSISI ROSSO from UMBRIA, a perfumed, well structured and harmonic red wine, but you could also try a wine of CALABRIA, like CIRO' made with GAGLIOPPO GRAPE: a very elegant and fascinating wine, not too alcoholic but still powerful, ready to accompany chickpeas’ succulency without damaging the general balance of the recipe.
Last but not least, you could easily dare to pair pasta e ceci with a rosé: FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA has an ample choice, but we would suggest a FRIULI COLLI ORIENTALI ROSATO DOC, dry and full-bodied, or from the same Region a SPUMANTE METODO CLASSICO ROSE', whose pink bubbles will love to contrast the sweetness of pasta and ceci’s carbs.

#GabriellaPession #ItaliaTASTE #ItalyinLA

Видео Gabriella Pession - Chickpeas, Pearls of the Mediterranean #ItalianTASTE канала ConsLosAngeles