Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesan

this is from Real Simple magazine. i made it for dinner tonite and everyone voted it a 'keeper'.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
7 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 pound angel hair pasta
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

ganache-filled brown sugar bars

this is from food & wine magazine a few years ago. i forgot i wanted to try this and just came across it the other day. these are awfully delicious.

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate (8oz), coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp.
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. boil the cream over moderate heat. in a food processor, finely grind the chocolate. with the machine on, add the hot cream and process until smooth. scrape the ganache into a bowl and let stand until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. lightly butter a 10x15 inch baking pan. line with wax paper; butter and flour the paper.
3. whisk the flour with the salt. in a large bowsl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes. beat in the eggs 1 at a time. beat in the vanilla. at low speed, beat in the flour in 3 additions; the batter will be fairly stiff. spread the batter in the pan. bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. cover the baking pan with a large wire rack and invert. remove the pan and peel off the wax paper. invert the cake onto a large cutting board. using a long serrated knife, halve the cake crosswise. spread the ganache evenly over one of the cake halves, leaving a 1/8 inch border. top with the other cake half. cover and refrigerate until the ganache is set, at least 2 hours.
5. trim the edges of the cake. cut the cake lenghtwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 bars. serve chilled or at room temperature.