It was another cooking challenge night - I've been hard at work on a new cookbook, and have been cooking and experimenting alot. So tonight I took a step back, and grabbed a bunch of items I had in the kitchen to whip together a quick and easy and super-yummy dinner. I always have cans of garbanzos - I like them baked, fried, mashed...you name it. Cooked in a pasta sauce, they add a great creamy texture. And for this recipe, you can embellish with whatever veggies you have in the fridge. (Tonight I was clearing out my large bag of green onions, and some fresh rosemary I had as well.) The result is something you'll come back to for an easy comfort food dinner... Enjoy!
Prepare the Garbonzo Rosemary Pasta Sauce: In a large saucepan, heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, about a tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary, and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, along with a pinch of Kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir it up, and cook for about 7 minutes. Remove about a cup of the garbanzos with a large spoon, and set aside in a bowl. To that mix, add about 8 chopped green onions (white parts only), and cook for about 4 minutes. Add a cup of heavy cream, stir, and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the chopped green ends of your green onions, and season with salt and pepper if needed. I also squeezed about a half of a lemon's fresh juice in as well (optional!).
Cook the Pasta: Bring your go-to pasta pot with salted water to a boil. (Tonight, I used a 12 oz. box of rigatoni.) Once boiling, cook your pasta a few minutes less than the directions say. When done, drain the pasta, but reserve the pasta water.
Put it all Together: Add the cooked pasta to your sauce, along with one cup of the pasta water, and about 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Stir well, until the sauce thickens up to your desired consistency. You can always add more pasta water if you want to. Serve in a large bowl, or several small individual bowls, garnished with the extra cooked rosemary chickpeas, a few bits of chopped rosemary, and a few grinds of black pepper.
Done! Now enjoy!!