Editor's note: The recipe below is from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. For Bittman's tips on preparing a modern Passover meal, click here.

　　Chickpeas are among the best legumes, and this is among the best recipes you can prepare with them, an eons-old Middle Eastern classic. Generally, I'm not a big fan of canned beans, but for whatever reason canned chickpeas are not bad at all, and I always keep some on hand so I can make a batch of this at the last minute, to use as a dip or a spread. You can make hummus without tahini; it will be a little looser and less complex tasting but still good.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 or more servings

　　2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved

　　1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling

　　2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish

　　Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

　　

Step 2

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I often find I like to add much more lemon juice). Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.