Creamy Chickpea Pasta With Spinach & Rosemary

During the COVID-19 quarantine, I’ve been able to spend a little more time in the kitchen which has not only lead to recipe research but also forced creativity due to minimized trips to the grocery! This recipe ended up being a total hit and, while yes, it’s a cream based sauce, doesn’t feel as heavy as others.

I made this the other night while zoom conferencing with friends and when I realized how good it was, I knew I had to share it here on Bliss & Bellinis.

Creamy Chickpea Pasta With Spinach & Rosemary

What You’ll Need:

kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 (14oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
black pepper
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 (6oz) bag baby spinach, or more if you prefer
12oz bucatini, but other forms would work just fine, too
½ cup finely grated parmesan

The How To:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
2. In a wide, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas & rosemary. 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.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots & garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. (If the spinach isn’t wilting, cover with a lid until you add the pasta water in the next step)
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce, do not drain the pasta. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the parmesan cheese, and cook over medium, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed. Remember, you can always add more pasta water, but it’s more difficult to deal with a watery sauce.
5. Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper.
6. Serve immediately & enjoy.

 

Cheers,

 

Recipe adapted from NYTimes, if you like a dish with more heat try their version with Aleppo pepper.