Giancarlo Suriano reminds me of a character from a child’s picture book, one with the energy of Tigger and the slightly subversive personality of Dennis the Menace. Suriano’s day job is growing and harvesting chili peppers in Amantea, Calabria, but he is also a voluble cooking teacher, sporting large oxblood glasses and a high-octane smile. During the four hours we spent together, I can’t recall that I ever saw him sit down.

My trip to Calabria was full of other welcome surprises, including a more verdant and mountainous landscape than expected. The food was simple—I learned many lessons in cucina povera—but it was also varied and full of surprise food pairings. One of my favorite duos was a simple dish of chickpeas and clams, ceci e vongole. It was instantly clear that the texture of the chickpeas goes perfectly with the fresh brininess of the clams.

The technique is classic Italian. Start by gently cooking garlic, rosemary and chopped chilies in olive oil. The Italians use crushed cloves, rarely minced, although we opted for sliced garlic, which adds a bit more flavor without being overpowering. Suriano added a teaspoon or two of tomato paste at this point, mostly for color, and then the cooked chickpeas. He used thawed frozen clams, so they had already opened by the time they were added to the skillet. We started with fresh clams and added them to the skillet with a bit of water and then steamed them, covered, until they opened. We finished the dish with EVOO and lemon juice.

Freshly cooked chickpeas always taste best, but two cans of chickpeas make this a Tuesday night supper. To my surprise, his Calabrian chilies were not that hot—I even ate them out of hand after dragging them through hot oil for just a few seconds. Since Calabrian chilies are hard to find, we suggest mild Fresnos, which are just a tad spicier than jalapeños.
Yes, clams do go well with pasta, but chickpeas are an even better pairing. A bit like surf and turf, the flavor of the ocean marries nicely with the earthy flavor of chickpeas, raised in the soil and sun. This is another reminder that simplicity is the foundation of all good cooking.

Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."