The Banza brand pastas are grain-free. I’m so happy they make it in this wheel shape (of course they make it in many other shapes as well). It inspired this Chickpea Pasta with Sautéed Veggies recipe
Wagon wheel pasta and small-diced sautéed veggies are meant to be tossed together! Have you ever noticed that sometimes veggies end up at the bottom of the pasta dish? Well, that doesn’t happen with this recipe. The small-diced veggies cling to the open spokes of the wheels, and voila – you have a delicious and evenly dressed pasta! It’s a sneaky way to get kids to eat more veggies too – kids love wagon wheels!
Tips for Cooking Chickpea Pasta
Don’t be surprised to see white foam when cooking chickpea and other legume pastas. You can skim the foam from the water while the pasta is cooking. You can also rinse it off when draining the pasta. I suggest heating water in your tea kettle, then rinse with hot water. This way the pasta won’t immediately get cold from rinsing. Why not just use hot water from the tap? It’s better not to use hot water from your tap for drinking or cooking because it comes from your hot water tank and can have impurities.
Method Overview
- Small-dice the veggies.
- Lightly sauté them.
- Cook the pasta.
- Dress the pasta then add it to the skillet with the veggies and pine nuts; toss.
Chickpea Pasta with Sautéed Veggies
Equipment
- skillet
- large pot
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, small-diced
- 4 cloves garlic, small-diced
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 cup fine-chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 8 olives, fine-chopped
- 2 cups fine-chopped broccoli
- 1/8 cup pine nuts (pignolis), optional
- 12 ounces chickpea wagon wheel pasta, such as Banza brand
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, such as Pacific Foods brand
Instructions
- Put a large covered pot of water over high heat to be used for cooking the pasta. Use plenty of water, more water than you would for wheat pasta.
- Heat the first Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of onion. When the onion begins to gently sizzle, add the remaining onion and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the garlic halfway through this step.
- Add the salt, peppers, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes; stir.
- Add the broccoli and pine nuts. Stir and cook for a few more minutes then remove from the heat.
- Cook the pasta following the package directions. When ready, drain the water using a colander, then briefly rinse. Return the pasta back to its pot and season with the garlic powder, olive oil, and vegetable broth.
- Add the dressed pasta to the skillet and toss with the vegetables.
Nutrition
Optional Omnivore Variations
This dish is perfect as is, but if you have die-hard omnivore’s in the family you may want to offer an omnivore variation so everyone is happy. For instance, add small-diced deli ham to the omnivore’s dish when serving, such as Applegate Organics brand or a bit of diced cooked chicken. Of course an obvious variation is to sprinkle with grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese.
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