Creamy Chickpea Pasta
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1(14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 tsp teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
- Black pepper
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped OR (1/2 of a small red onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 c heavy cream
- about 6 oz baby spinach
- about 1 lb of mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake, but button mushrooms would work fine too)
- 12 oz spaghetti or bucatini or penne
- 1/2 c finely grated Parmesan
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat, stir in the spinach and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook and stir until the spinach is wilted and mushrooms are cooked.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
When the pasta is just barely cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the spinach and cream sauce. Add the parmesan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce has slightly thickened – just a couple of minutes.
Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on top