This, I assure you, is more flavoursome than it sounds. Claudia Roden, in her magical Book of Jewish Food, says black-eyed beans were often consumed in Egypt during this period for they represented fecundity and abundance. They taste earthy and look gorgeous too, in their black-striped beige outfits.

If it weren't Rosh Hashanah or if you're not particularly concerned about the dietary restrictions, spritz over some lemon juice before serving.

Ingredients

• 250g black-eyed beans
• Leaves of 2 rosemary springs, finely chopped
• 50g blue poppy seeds
• 60ml olive oil
• 3 onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dark, spicy honey
• 150ml chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 500g dried tagliatelle
• Leaves of a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 50g unsalted butter
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Manage the beans first. These cook very quickly, so about 15 - 20 minutes in a 1.2 litres of water with half the chopped rosemary should do it. You want them just tender. Drain and keep aside.

Toast the blue poppy seeds in a heavy-bottomed saucepan for just a minute or so, just till they pick up a breath of faint nuttiness. Tip these into a bowl and add the olive oil to the saucepan. Over a gentle flame, cook the onions for as long as it takes for them to not just shed opacity, but go melting and near-amber. Add the honey, half the chopped rosemary leaves, the cooked black-eyed beans, chicken stock and sherry and simmer for a final 5 - 7 minutes, till the beans have softened a trifle more and the stock has gone syrupy.

Cook the tagliatelle in a vat of salted boiling water. Drain, return to the pot and toss in the oniony-beans, toasted poppy seeds, chopped parsley and butter. Taste, tweak and upend onto a platter, something inviting, celebratory. Anoint with a touch of verdant, peppery extra virgin olive oil and show it off to the big table.

» Return to A Rosh Hashanah feast

Tagliatelle, black-eyed beans, caramelized onions
Stories and photos copyright © Bryan Koh, unless otherwise stated. Not to be reproduced without permission from the author.

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