Pasta with chickpeas

Serves 4 to 6

Looking for an easy and quick vegetarian meal for the whole family to enjoy? Try this delicious chickpea and pasta recipe.

1 Ib

barilla ditalini pasta

1 lb

extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp

dried chili flakes

1 small

onion, finely chopped

1 cup

cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 cups

cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small bunch

fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 cup

dry white wine

salt, to your taste

freshly ground black pepper, to your taste

1 tbsp

basil pesto

1 tbsp

freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Get your sauce and your pasta going at the same time.
Put a large pot of water on to boil. When the water boils, salt it and drop in the pasta. Give it a quick stir.
In another pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions. Just before the onions soften, stir in the chili flakes. Let it cook until the onions become soft, sweet and translucent.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and parsley and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until the tomatoes start to soften and lose their shape.
Then stir in the wine and cook for a minute or two until it reduces a little. At this point I like to mash up some of the chickpeas to give the dish a thicker, creamier texture.
When your pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving ½ to 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the pesto. Stir in just enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to get the consistency you like. Let everything cook for a few minutes so the flavors come together. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
To finish, sprinkle with some Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil.