Moroccan Chickpea Ditalini Salad with Preserved Lemon

Name: Moroccan Chickpea Ditalini Salad with Preserved Lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) dried ditalini pasta; 2 tbsp (36 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water (Diamond Crystal; use half as much if using fine table salt); 3 cups (480 g) canned chickpeas, from two 15-oz (425 g) cans, drained and well rinsed; ½ lemon (30 g) preserved lemon, quartered, pulp scraped away and discarded, rind rinsed and finely diced (about 2 tbsp); ¾ cup (100 g) pitted green olives, drained and halved lengthwise; 1½ cups (225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ small onion (60 g) red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 cup (30 g) fresh cilantro, loosely packed leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon; 1 tbsp (15 ml) preserved lemon brine, from the jar (or use extra lemon juice); 1 large clove (5 g) garlic, finely grated; 1½ tsp (3 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (2½ g) sweet paprika; 1 tsp (7 g) honey; ¼ tsp (½ g) cayenne pepper (optional); freshly ground black pepper, to taste; kosher salt, to taste, added only at the end if needed

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tiny ditalini tubes are tossed with chickpeas, briny green olives, diced preserved lemon, cherry tomatoes and a lot of fresh cilantro, then dressed in a warm-spiced cumin-paprika vinaigrette. It tastes better after an hour in the fridge, so it suits picnics, potlucks and make-ahead lunches.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 1 hr 45 min
Makes: About 8 cups (6 generous side servings or 4 light main servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the salad
12 oz (340 g) dried ditalini pasta
2 tbsp (36 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water (Diamond Crystal; use half as much if using fine table salt)
3 cups (480 g) canned chickpeas, from two 15-oz (425 g) cans, drained and well rinsed
½ lemon (30 g) preserved lemon, quartered, pulp scraped away and discarded, rind rinsed and finely diced (about 2 tbsp)
¾ cup (100 g) pitted green olives, drained and halved lengthwise
1½ cups (225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small onion (60 g) red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
1 cup (30 g) fresh cilantro, loosely packed leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
For the vinaigrette
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon
1 tbsp (15 ml) preserved lemon brine, from the jar (or use extra lemon juice)
1 large clove (5 g) garlic, finely grated
1½ tsp (3 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (2.5 g) sweet paprika
1 tsp (7 g) honey
¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste, added only at the end if needed

Equipment (6)

Large pot (6-quart / 5.5 L or bigger)
Large colander
Large mixing bowl (4-quart / 4 L)
Small bowl or jar for the vinaigrette
Fine microplane or grater for the garlic
Cutting board and sharp knife

Steps

Before you start

Preserved lemons are salty, so the recipe uses only the rind and adds no salt to the dressing until you taste it at the end.
Find preserved lemons in jars near the olives or pickles in well-stocked supermarkets, or at Middle Eastern and North African grocers.
Plan for at least 1 hour of chilling time. The salad is best after the flavors have melded.
Rinse the canned chickpeas well in a colander so the salad is not over-salted or cloudy.

1
Soak the onion
- Put the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water.
- Leave it while you prepare everything else and cook the pasta.
- This mellows the raw bite.
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Ready when: Onion slices look slightly translucent and taste mild rather than sharp when you nibble one.
Tip: Drain well before adding to the salad, or the dressing will become watery.
2
Prep the salad add-ins
- Rinse the chickpeas in a colander and shake dry.
- Scrape the pulp from the preserved lemon quarters and discard it, rinse the rind, and dice it very finely (about 2 tbsp).
- Halve the olives and cherry tomatoes and chop the cilantro.
- Put the chickpeas, preserved lemon, olives, tomatoes and cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
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Ready when: Preserved lemon rind is in pieces no bigger than ⅛ inch (3 mm), so it spreads through the salad.
Tip: Rinsing the rind removes surface salt without losing its perfumed flavor.
3
Whisk the vinaigrette
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, preserved lemon brine, grated garlic, cumin, paprika, honey and the cayenne if using.
- Add a few grinds of black pepper.
- Whisk or shake for about 30 seconds.
- Do not add salt yet.
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Ready when: Dressing is cloudy, evenly orange-red and thick enough that the oil does not separate right away.
Tip: The brine and olives already supply plenty of salt.
4
Boil the ditalini
- Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat, then stir in the 2 tbsp kosher salt.
- Add the ditalini and stir right away.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute less than the package directions, usually 8 to 9 minutes.
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Ready when: Pasta is al dente: tender outside with a slight firm bite at the center when you bite a piece in half.
Tip: Pasta softens a little as it sits in the dressing, so slightly firm is right.
5
Drain and cool pasta
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds, tossing, until it no longer steams.
- Shake well and let it drain for 2 minutes.
- Drain the soaked onion at the same time.
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Ready when: Pasta feels cool to the touch and is not sticky or dripping.
Tip: Cold-rinsing stops the cooking and washes off surface starch so the pieces do not clump.
6
Toss the salad
- Add the drained pasta and onion to the large bowl with the chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, preserved lemon and cilantro.
- Whisk the vinaigrette again and pour it over.
- Toss gently with a large spoon for about 1 minute so every piece is coated.
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Ready when: All the pasta is glossy and lightly orange from the paprika, with no dry spots or pooled dressing.
Tip: Fold gently to avoid crushing the tomatoes.
7
Chill to blend flavors
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- This lets the pasta absorb the cumin, paprika and lemon flavors.
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Ready when: Salad is cold throughout and the dressing has soaked in.
Tip: Chilled pasta absorbs dressing, so check for dryness before serving.
8
Taste and serve
- Stir the salad and taste.
- If it looks dry, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon.
- Add a pinch of kosher salt only if needed, plus more pepper.
- Serve cold or slightly cool, topped with extra cilantro if you like.
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Ready when: Salad tastes bright, savory and lightly spiced, with the preserved lemon noticeable but not overly salty.
Tip: Chilling dulls flavors, so always taste again before serving.

Good to know

Tips

Use only the preserved lemon rind, not the pulp, which is very salty and can be bitter.
Grate the garlic on a fine microplane so it dissolves into the dressing and there are no harsh raw chunks.
Toast the cumin whole and grind it fresh for a deeper flavor, but pre-ground cumin works well here.
To make it a full meal, add 1 cup of crumbled feta or flaked canned tuna, or serve with grilled chicken.

Make ahead

"Make the salad up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir in a splash of olive oil and lemon juice, and fresh cilantro, just before serving. The vinaigrette alone can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in a jar in the fridge."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F / 32°C). Refrigerator: airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the pasta turns mushy and the tomatoes watery. No reheating needed; serve cold, or let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to take the chill off."

Substitutions

dried ditalini pasta → small shells, elbow macaroni, or pearl (Israeli) couscous. Cook pearl couscous for 8 minutes. Any other small pasta should be cooked to al dente per the package.
preserved lemon → 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest plus ½ tsp extra kosher salt. Less complex and fermented in flavor, but gives a similar bright lemon taste.
fresh cilantro → flat-leaf parsley, or half parsley and half fresh mint. Good for anyone who dislikes cilantro.
pitted green olives → Castelvetrano or Moroccan cracked green olives, pitted. Milder or fruitier olives will make the salad less salty.