By: Cooking Light, 2005
What you need:
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic gloves
3/4 tsp salt
1/4tsp crushed red pepper (didn't have)
15.5oz can of chickpeas drained (and I rinsed)
14oz can of chicken broth, fat free, less sodium
1.5c uncooked shell pasta (I used whole wheat shell pasta)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I used more)
2 garlic gloves, minced
1tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tspn lemon juice
3 tbsp shredded parm-reggiano cheese
What to do:
Heat oil in pan, add garlic and saute for minute. Then add salt, pepper, chickpeas and broth and bring to boil, cut heat to simmer, cover for 15 minutes. While that is simmering, make pasta as per direction omitting salt and fat, drain well.
Place chickpea mixture in food processor and mix til smooth. Then combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, garlic, fresh parlsey, and lemon juice and toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
Verdict:
Hmmm... this one received rave reviews on myrecipes.com but I didn't think it was great or flavorful. Next time I try this I will keep the chickpeas whole and add to pasta with lots of basil instead of parsley. Parsley? It just didn't taste like it should go in this dish at all. Definitely basil next time...
Adding salt brings out the flavor of food. Everything I have read says it's very important to add salt to the water. Maybe that would have helped make it less bland?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good call on the basil. It looks super delicious by your photos!
ReplyDeleteI think salt and using red pepper flakes would have enlivened this a bit. I've made chickpea sandwich spread before with red pepper flakes and it really add something to it. I'm not sure about basil though. Basil with chickpeas isn't a natural combination for me, though tomatoes and Parmesan with it is definitely a winner.
ReplyDeleteI want to give this recipe a try, but I'll probably add red and black pepper and salt to it. The other thing which might enliven it is using chicken bouillon instead of stock, but that may overwhelm the more delicate flavors.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I had some leftover today for lunch. It had more flavor today but still light. I sprinkled a bit of salt over the top as well. I liked it much better cold than I did last night right after I made it. Next time I will find the red pepper flakes and see if that makes a difference.
ReplyDelete