Welcome back to my food blog, friends! I’m so excited to be sharing a recipe for the first time since spring. I ran around like a headless chicken cooking and taking food photos last weekend and this is the result. I really missed it and I’m excited to share more of my favorite recipes with you again!
I honestly can’t believe I haven’t shared this one with you yet! I’ve been making it for years. It’s the perfect salty, savory, warm comfort meal for a blustery fall day. And, it’s gluten-free and vegetarian as well!
As you can maybe tell, this recipe came about when I had a bunch of random ingredients lying around our dorm room in college. It was my turn to make dinner on a busy night and I hadn’t planned anything. Hence: this pasta dish.
Beans in pasta might sound a bit odd but trust me, the mild flavor of chickpeas totally works here. And it makes the dish more filling and healthier–due to the added protein and fiber–than just pasta, pesto, and vegetables.
You can add in whatever vegetables you want here, really. I’ll usually add onion, sauteed mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes for a bit more oomph.
Top with a grating of parmesan cheese… yum! Chopped walnuts are also a great (and dairy-free) topping for this pasta. The bitter flavor of the nuts offsets the salty, rich pasta nicely.
However you serve it, it’s sure to become one of your meal plan staples!
Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas & Greens (Gluten-Free)
Makes 5-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 12-oz. package gluten-free pasta (Whole Foods and Barilla make good corn-and-rice penne, but you could use anything here)
- 1/3 c. pesto (make sure it’s gluten-free–I recommend olive oil-based pestos, versus canola oil-based ones, for better flavor)
- 1 14-oz. can chickpeas
- olive oil, for cooking
- a few handfuls of greens
- Optional: other sauteed vegetables; chopped walnuts, and/or parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sautee any other vegetables you’re adding in olive oil.
- Add the vegetables and chickpeas to the pasta and mix. Add pesto and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve topped with fresh greens, parmesan and/or chopped walnuts.
But tell me, do you have any favorite meals that you came up with whilst low on ingredients? What do you make when there’s “nothing to eat” in the house? We love veggie scrambles on toast to use up things going bad at the end of the week!