Moroccan Chickpea Pasta with Beef Stew

Ingredients:

Stew

• 220 g small chickpea shell pasta, such as Banza (about 2.5 cups)
• 2 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling
• 450 g of ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ras el hanout (Moroccan seasoning)
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 0.5 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

Ras el Hanout dry spice mix

• 1 cinnamon stick 2 pieces of galangal
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 8 allspice berries
• 8 white or green cardamom seeds
• 1 teaspoon of anise
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon lavender
• 2 small pieces of orris root
• 5 dried rose buds
• 4 whole cloves
• 6 turmeric fruits
• A pinch of mace
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• Grind all ingredients

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the water and discard the rest.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook, breaking up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, until darkened and the vegetables begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the raisins, tomato paste, ras el hanout, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few freshly ground black pepper; cook until the oil turns red, about 1 minute.
3. Add the pasta to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the pasta is coated with the sauce, 1-2 minutes. Stir in 0.5 cups of the pasta cooking water; if the sauce is too dry, add more water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add the cilantro and mint. Divide the pasta among bowls.
   
   You can cook Italian-style stew.