These days, I would say I make a chickpea pasta recipe from whatever pantry staples I have on hand—plus fresh produce—for dinner at least once a week.
As many of you may know, I am in the middle of writing my first REAL cookbook (all of my other books have recipes, but this is the first official cookbook–YAY!) You would think, wouldn’t you though, that if I am working on a cookbook that every night we would all be enjoying a big feast for dinner over here. Well that’s not exactly how things are going lol. So many of the recipes in the cookbook are things like sauces, dressings, waffles, smoothies and so on; it is not a book of just dinner recipes. So, by the time I finish recipe testing and photographing the food, I am often too tired to even think about making an elaborate dinner. Whether you are writing a cookbook or not, I am sure many of you can relate 😉
When it’s 5:49 PM and you have not a clue what your family is going to have for dinner, don’t fear, as long as you have a well stocked pantry (with chickpea pasta!) a delicious meal is very near…
Chickpea Pasta is My New Favorite Pantry Staple
Over the last few years, I have tried a number of different bean-based pastas and although some were not edible, many were very good. But, not a single bean based pasta brand that I have tried has yet to come close to being as delicious as Banza brand. Â Thanks to Banza, I have been able to put one tasty meal after another on the table in minutes. (This is not a sponsored post by the way.)
And if you can believe it, I like the taste of Banza chickpea pasta better than whole grain pasta. In addition to having a better taste and texture than whole grain, chickpea pasta is considerably more filling. If you take a look below, it’s easy to see why.
Banza Chickpea Pasta is LOADED with Nutrition
The ingredients in Banza are very simple….
Banza Ingredients:
Chickpeas, Tapioca, Pea Protein, Xantham Gum
And just take a look at the comparison between Banza pasta and the average pasta in the chart below….
BUY Banza Pasta HERE!
Pantry Staples for the Chickpea Pasta Recipe
The following ingredients are always in my pantry:
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Wild canned salmon
- Anchovy paste
- Banza pasta (Note: you can always substitute any whole grain shell pasta for this recipe if you do not have Banza)
- Raw walnuts
- Crushed red pepper
- Himalayan salt
Fresh Ingredients You Will Also Need
Since I already always have my pantry well stocked with the majority of the staple ingredients for the recipe, I only need to pick up a few fresh ones:
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Parsley
Ok, let’s get cooking!
PrintChickpea Pasta Recipe
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Prep Time: 10 mins -
Cook Time: 15 minsInactive Time: Total Time:
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Total Time: -25632291.45 minute
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Yield: 4 -
Cuisine: Entree
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Ingredients
- 1 box (8 ounces) chickpea pasta (I recommend Banza brand)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 2 medium leeks, (use both white and green parts), thoroughly washed and sliced
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- Himalayan salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 cup chopped fresh parlsey
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 can (8 ounces) wild sockeye salmon, drained
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chickpea pasta. Cook until desired firmness, about 8 to 9 minutes. Strain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Set pasta aside.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the oil and anchovy paste over medium heat. Add the leeks and shallots along with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until leeks start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
3. Add the parsley and lemon juice and cook until lemon juice starts to evaporate, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, as needed to loosen the pasta. Season with additional salt to taste. Add the salmon, using a wooden spoon to break the salmon up a bit.
5. Use a mini food processor to process the walnuts into “crumbs”.
6. Divide pasta onto four serving plates and top each serving with walnut “crumbs” and crushed red pepper, to taste (if using). Serve warm.
Notes
