Orecchiette with Chickpeas and Greens

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the broccoli rapini and pasta. Cook for about 11 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain in a large colander.
While the pasta and broccoli rapini are cooking, heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and red pepper ﬂakes and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the chickpeas.
Add the drained pasta and broccoli rapini into the chickpea mixture and toss to combine, adding the reserved cooking water a few tablespoons at a time if needed. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with grated Pecorino cheese before serving.

Banner Image:

Mediterranean_OrecchietteChickpeasGreens.jpg

Grain:

Wheat [1]

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli rapini (also known as broccoli rabe), washed and coarsely chopped

10 ounces dried whole grain orecchiette pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, ﬁnely chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper ﬂakes

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Zest of 1 lemon (reserved from the Mediterranean Salmon with Olives recipe [2])

Juice of ½ lemon (reserved from the Mediterranean Salmon with Olives recipe [2])

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup grated Pecorino cheese (about 1 ounce)

Active time:

5 minutes

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition:

Calories: 470, Total Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Sodium: 105mg, Carbohydrate: 70g, Fiber: 12g, Total Sugar: 3g (Added Sugar: 0g), Protein: 18g

Author:

An Oldways recipe and photo, created in partnership with the Global Salmon Initiative [3]

Diet:

Mediterranean Diet

Recipe tags:

Staff Favorites

Course:

Main dishes

Meal:

Dinner

Dietary choice:

Vegetarian

Rating:

Description:

This recipe is from Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot and the heart of its olive oil production, and is the perfect healthy Mediterranean pasta meal. Delicious al-dente orecchiette pasta is tossed with ample green vegetables, along with chickpeas (for protein), lemon juice (for brightness) and olive oil (for ﬂavor and richness). Feel free to make use of the leftover lemon zest and lemon juice from the Mediterranean Salmon with Olives recipe [2] to cut down on food waste. The broccoli rapini cooks in the same water as the pasta to save water and ﬂavor!

Serving Size:

1/4 recipe