Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

A whirl in the food processor transforms the humble chickpea into a creamy sauce for pasta—a sauce that is a hallmark of rustic Italian cooking. Bolstered with garlic, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese, this easy dish makes the most of flavorful kitchen staples.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup pasta and 2 1/4 teaspoons cheese)

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1  (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2  cups  uncooked medium seashell pasta (about 6 ounces)
• 1/2  cup  grape tomatoes, halved
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 3  tablespoons  shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

While garlic mixture simmers, cook pasta in boiling water 9 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Place chickpea mixture in a food pro-cessor, and process until smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, minced garlic, fresh parsley, and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

333 (24% from fat)

Fat:

9g (sat 1.6g,mono 3.2g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

13.6g

Carbohydrate:

57.3g

Fiber:

6.6g

Cholesterol:

3mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

808mg

Calcium:

92mg