When you think of the feast of St Joseph - San Giuseppe (which is also Father's Day in Italy) you immediately think of the zeppole of San Giuseppe - St Joseph, the typical dessert of the feast. And yet, there are other very ancient traditions that combine the saint with traditional dishes.
The most famous is that of pasta and chickpeas which since 1865 has been eaten on March 19 in Salina in the Aeolian Islands in the "A Tavuliata di San Giuseppe" (the table of St Joseph). Legend has it that the tradition was born after a miracle: some sailors were surprised by a storm at sea and began to pray asking for the protection of St Joseph. The saint listened to them and calmed the waters so the sailors were able to reach the shore in Salina.
The sailors only had chickpeas and a little pasta, so they prepared a dish that they offered to the saint and since then every year the Aeolian community prepares a pasta with chickpeas that is eaten together at large tables of San Giuseppe set up along the streets and squares of Salina.
Recipe for St Joseph pasta and chickpeas
Let's prepare pasta and chickpeas according to the traditional recipe of Salina. Let's start by soaking the dried chickpeas the night before and let them rest all night.
The next day we start by boiling the chickpeas a little. Then separately we prepare a mixture of celery, carrots, onion with a clove of garlic, a sprig of rosemary and a bay leaf. When everything is browned and has taken on the right aromas, we add the chickpeas, already blanched previously, and some tomato.
Let it flavor well, remove the rosemary and bay leaf and add broth or hot water. When it starts to boil, after 10 minutes we remove some of the chickpeas and blend them. We add the pasta to the soup and put the blended chickpeas back, we finish cooking and serve adding a grind of pepper and a drizzle of EVO oil to the plate.
In the glass I chose a white Salina, a blend of Inzolia and Cataratto grapes, for my personal tribute to Sicily and its traditions.
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