Chickpea, tomato and basil pasta

I’m not gonna bore you with the story of how I came up with this recipe or go on and on about how easy it is to make. I’m also not gonna tell you that tomatoes and basil are a fail-proof flavor combo (duh) or that chick peas boast quite an impressive nutrition panel. I will, however, tell you that chick peas make this sauce sinfully rich without any help from our good friends butter and heavy cream. And, I will also gonna strongly suggest that you make it. ASAP.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 20 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt + pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c basil leaves, gently torn

1 lb penne or another short cut pasta, cooked just short of al dente

Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Procedure: Divide chick peas in half. Puree one half using a potato masher or food processor. Set all chick peas aside. Heat olive oil in large saute pan or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Then add chick peas, tomato cause, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then turn the heat off and stir in basil leaves (if not serving immediately, hold off on adding basil until right before serving).

Combine sauce with pasta; taste and re-season if necessary.