Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 1 small can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2½ cups dried pasta shells, bowties or elbows
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast substitute ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups tightly packed kale, trimmed and de-ribbed
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 heaping teaspoon capers
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil as needed
- Zest of one small lemon.
Instructions
- Peel and chop the garlic. Wash and derib the kale and roughly chop. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Zest the lemon. Set aside all ingredients until ready to use.
- Fill a pot with water for the paste. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Have your pasta ready to add to the water once it boils. While waiting for the water to boil, proceed with the steps below. Once water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron, but stainless steel also works) over medium heat coat with olive oil. Add rosemary. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add tomato paste and chopped garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chickpeas to the pan, along with salt, pepper, kale, capers, optional hot sauce and ¼ cup water. Lower heat and cover, allowing to simmer for 10 minutes and stirring occassionally. The kale should wilt and get brighter in color.
- Add pasta to the pan with kale and chickpeas. Sprinkle Nutritional Yeast, or parmesan cheese, depending on your preference. Add lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil and mix until well-combined.
- Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
*KALE: I used Kale for Cooking from Trader Joe’s. I like using this because it’s prechopped and prepackaged. It requires minimal effort, just some picking out of larger stems. However, you are welcome to use any kale you choose, just don’t forget to wash and derib before adding to recipe.
*TOMATO PASTE: You definitely won’t use an entire can of tomato paste in this recipe. I recommend buying the tomato paste that comes in a tube, since it’s easier to store and use as needed. Or, use this simple hack: Empty out an ice cube tray. Scoop tomato paste into ice cube tray. Freeze overnight. Break tomato paste out of ice cube tray and store in a plastic bag in the freezer until ready to use. You’ll never waste your tomato paste again!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!