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Creamy, Punchy, Chick Pea Pesto Pasta
Chickpea pesto pasta is a delicious, protein-packed twist on traditional pesto pasta.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb rotini penne, farfalle or other short pasta
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 heaping cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup pesto make pesto before
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for a smoother pesto
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
- For the Pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into the water and cook for 1 minute less than package directions.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften. Season with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium, add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes, then mash half of them with the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Give everything another stir, then stir in the red wine vinegar and the pesto. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Add the chickpea pesto mixture to the pot with with pasta, along with 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Gradually add the Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed (you may not use the full 1 1/2 cups), until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce is creamy and emulsified, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the butter until it melts. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Serve in bowls, topped with extra Parmesan cheese and pepper.