Take a break from tomatoes with a quick and easy gourmet pasta dinner. Chickpeas, olive oil and loads of garlic make a flavourful dish for weekdays or weekends.

Quick: Think of a vegetarian dish.

Was it hummus or pasta? Pasta with tomato sauce is a reliable vegetarian or vegan dinner. But plain pasta will not longer cut it when there are easy gourmet recipes like Garlicky Pasta with Chickpeas to try. Break from tradition with stick-to-the-ribs heartiness and a rich succulent flavour. This pasta recipe is perfect for those who don’t like tomatoes, or as a protein- and fibre-rich change.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are an overlooked bean, usually confined to cold pastas and salads. In this recipe, chickpeas get coated in warm, fragrant, garlicky olive oil and poke out from behind strands of cooked, whole wheat pasta. Chickpeas are very nutritious, and have a very mild flavour.

To brighten up a plate of this pasta, garnish with fresh parsley. Don’t feel compelled to add the cheese - this recipe is delicious on its own, sans dairy. Omitting the cheese makes a vegan recipe.

Garlicky Pasta with Chickpeas Recipe

Makes 3-4 small servings.

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (340 gram) package whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 pinches dried spicy red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (19 ounce) can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 10 pickled pepperoncini peppers (optional), de-stemmed and drained
• Freshly-ground pepper, to taste
• Coarse or sea salt, to taste
• Asiago cheese (optional), to serve

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick pan, warm the olive oil over low heat.
2. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent; about 20 minutes.
3. If onion sticks to the pan, drizzle in a little bit more olive oil.
4. In the meantime, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions.
5. Add red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, stirring well.
6. Add chickpeas and mash slightly with the back of a wooden spoon.
7. Add pepperoncini peppers, if using.
8. Season generously with salt and pepper.
9. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes to allow flavours to meld.
10. Serve on top of hot cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese, if desired.

Variations:

• Replace the Asiago cheese with Parmesan or Romano
• If not using the spicy pepperoncini peppers, try stirring a few sprinkles of lemon juice into the chickpeas mixture. Or, top with feta cheese instead of Asiago.
• To reduce fat (or to cope with a sticky pan) add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth while the onions are cooking instead of adding more olive oil
• To achieve a saucier consistency, mash the chickpea mixture with a potato masher while still hot
• Use the chickpea mixture to top bruschetta or crostini

Not into chickpeas? Try Pasta with Beans, instead.

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