Rigatoni with Chickpeas

Ingredients

Pasta and sauce

  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and 1 cup liquid reserved
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta

Salad

  • 1 cup kale, stems removed (or other greens and vegetables)
  • 1/4 cup fresh herbs such as parley and green onions
  • Lemon

Directions

Cook the chickpeas

  1. Soak at least 2 cups of dried chickpeas in plenty of water overnight.
     
  2. Drain, rinse, and cover with 2 – 3 inches of water in a large pot.
     
  3. Add a bay leaf and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
     
  4. Lower the heat and simmer until the peas are soft and creamy (45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the age of the pea). OR pressure cook for 12 minutes. (Using canned chickpeas works great, too).

Bring it all together

  1. In a blender, puree half of the chickpeas (1 1/2 cups) with 1 cup of the cooking liquid and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
     
  2. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet on medium heat and cook the garlic and rosemary for about 2 minutes or until the garlic is just starting to brown slightly.
     
  3. Add the pureed chickpeas and the rest of the whole chickpeas (another 1 1/2 cups) to the skillet, stir in the salt and pepper, cover, and reduce to warm while you make the pasta.
     
  4. Cook your rigatoni in salted water 1 minute less than the package instructions.
     
  5. Meanwhile, make a raw salad by thinly slicing the kale (or any other fresh green or vegetable such as celery) and herbs.
     
  6. In a bowl, mix the greens with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. This will add the needed brightness to this recipe.
     
  7. In the skillet, combine the creamy chickpea sauce and the cooked pasta with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
     
  8. Bring the heat back up a bit and stir gently for a minute until the sauce is coating the pasta and the chickpeas start finding their way into the rigatoni.
     
  9. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls topped with the zesty greens and herbs salad.

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