Pasta with Chickpeas, Tomato and Spinach

Name: Pasta with Chickpeas, Tomato and Spinach
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 1/4 small, chopped Onions (Yellow); 2 oz, wheat rotini or shells, about cup cooked Pasta (Dry, Whole Grain); 3/4 teaspoon, vegetable Soybean Oil; 1/2 clove, minced Garlic; 1/2 medium, diced Carrots (Mature); 1/4 medium, stalk, diced Celery; 1/8 teaspoon Dried rosemary; 1/2 cup, low-sodium, drained and rinsed Canned Chickpeas; 1/2 cup, no-salt-added diced with juice Tomatoes (Canned); 1/2 cup, chopped Spinach (Mature); a pinch, optional Red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese (Grated)

Whole wheat pasta in a chickpea and tomato sauce with spinach and Parmesan — about 394 calories and 13 g fibre per serving.

394kcal per serving

16.1gprotein

65gcarbs

9.4gfat

421 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Estimated; may vary.

Prep15 min

Cook40 min

Total55 min

Makes1 serving

DifficultyMedium

Pasta with chickpeas, tomato and spinach for one plate: whole wheat pasta simmered in a rustic sauce of chickpeas, diced tomatoes, carrot, celery and rosemary, finished with spinach and Parmesan. About 394 calories per serving with around 16 g protein and 13 g fibre, which is more than most people get in a whole meal.

Mashing half the chickpeas with a fork is the step that makes the sauce. The crushed beans thicken the reserved pasta water and tomatoes into something that clings to the pasta, while the whole ones keep some bite. Skip it and you get pasta sitting in thin tomato broth.

This is a pantry meal: the only fresh items are onion, carrot, celery and spinach, and frozen spinach works too. It keeps three days in the fridge and reheats with a splash of water. Leave out the Parmesan and it is fully plant-based.

Ingredients

Servings

Onions (Yellow)1/4 small, chopped (18 g)
Pasta (Dry, Whole Grain)2 oz, wheat rotini or shells, about cup cooked (57 g)
Soybean Oil3/4 teaspoon, vegetable (3.5 g)
Garlic1/2 clove, minced
Carrots (Mature)1/2 medium, diced (30 g)
Celery1/4 medium, stalk, diced (10 g)
Dried rosemary1/8 teaspoon
Canned Chickpeas1/2 cup, low-sodium, drained and rinsed (65 g)
Tomatoes (Canned)1/2 cup, no-salt-added diced with juice (103 g)
Spinach (Mature)1/2 cup, chopped (15 g)
Red pepper flakesa pinch, optional
Parmesan Cheese (Grated)1 tablespoon (6 g)

Cook’s tips

Save the pasta water before draining — the starch in it thickens the chickpea and tomato sauce.
Mash only half the chickpeas: the mashed ones build body, the whole ones keep texture.
Cool leftovers within two hours and refrigerate up to three days; reheat with a spoonful of water so the pasta does not dry out.
Contains: milk (Parmesan), wheat (whole wheat pasta).
For gluten-free, use brown rice or chickpea pasta. For a dairy-free, plant-based version, skip the Parmesan or use nutritional yeast.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Cook the pasta in boiling water about 12 minutes, until just tender. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low. Cook garlic, onion, carrot, celery and rosemary about 10 minutes, until the garlic is golden.
Add the chickpeas and lightly mash half of them with a fork.
Add the reserved pasta water and the tomatoes with their juice. Cook 10 minutes.
Add the pasta and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Stir in red pepper flakes if you like, and serve topped with Parmesan.

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