Pasta e Ceci
I wanted to add a new staple to my meal plan rotation. I found that staple in Pasta e Ceci. As much as I love to cook, I really love nice and quick recipes. I was looking for a new staple dinner to try out and came upon Smitten Kitchen's quick pasta and chickpea recipe. The recipe looked super simple and easy to modify, so I was eager to give it a shot. Get the recipe and tips here!
Ingredients
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil
- 2-4 cloves of white garlic
- 15 oz can of chickpeas (or 1.5 cups rehydrated chickpeas)
- 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 package of cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1/2 small white onion
- 2 cups dry pasta of your choice (i used ditalini and it turned out really well)
Instructions
- Chop the garlic and dice 1/2 of a small white onion. Add the chopped garlic and onion to a deep pot with olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Set the burner to medium to low heat until the garlic and onions begin to simmer.
- While the garlic, onion, and tomato paste start to heat up, halve the cherry tomatoes. Add them to the pot and incorporate them with the other ingredients.
- Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas, then add them to the pot.
- De-stem the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Add the kale to the pot and incorporate all of the ingredients. Cover with the pot's lid to help steam the kale.
- Measure out your pasta and add it to the pot before adding the water. Mix everything together.
- Add approximately 1 cup of water to the pot and raise the temperature to high. Bright the pot to a boil. (This is not an exact science. Some recipes seemed to make more of a soup whereas others were dryer, so it seems pretty flexible.)
- Let everything boil for approximately 8 minutes. The beans and pasta will absorb most (if not all) of the water. If the pasta isn't quite done, add some more water and let it boil for a few more minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and then you're ready to plate! Top with cheese of your choice, if desired.