Simple is always good, especially when it comes to cooking. This recipe for Pasta with Rapini and Crispy Chickpeas is delicious, simple, and easy to make during the busy workweek.
I love pasta, and I grew up eating all types of pasta dishes. The simple ones were as good as the ones that took more time to make, or had more ingredients included. One of my favorite simple pasta dishes is spaghetti served with garlic and oil, or Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Have you ever tried this dish?
Pasta with Rapini and Crispy Chickpeas is a delicious and simple pasta dish that I love. I used rapini (you may know it as broccolini), but you could use any type of greens for this dish.
Just don’t forget the crispy chickpeas — they’re the icing on the cake! You may have to try to stop yourself from snacking on them as you cook (I speak from experience), or you won’t have any left for the pasta.
In fact, you can make these chickpeas another time as a fabulous snack. Prepare them the same way, but after you bake them, toss them with your favorite seasoning and enjoy!
The chickpeas add a nice crunch to this dish, and the rapini adds a pop of color. Garnish with some red pepper flakes for a touch of zing and a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, and you’re set for a great meal.
This is the perfect weeknight dish, and the leftovers – if you have them – are great for lunch the next day.
If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, give one of my other recipes a try:
Kale Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and White Beans
Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta
Pasta with Kale and Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce
Yields 4
This simple pasta dish is hearty and delicious! It's easy to get a great meal together quickly with a recipe like this!
Save RecipeIngredients
- 8 ounces medium-sized pasta (I used penne)
- 3/4 bunch of rapini, ends trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for the cooking water and chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce can) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Add the towel-dried chickpeas to a bowl (remove any remaining skins) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt to season. Add to a baking pan in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes or until they begin to brown and crisp. Remove and season with a bit of ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the rapini and cook for several minutes (3-5) until the leaves turn bright green.
- Remove the rapini from the water (keep the water in the pot) and rinse with cold water. Squeeze the excess water from the leaves. Chop into 3-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Add the pasta to the rapini water and cook according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Add the remaining olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rapini, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the wine (if you don’t want to use wine, add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, more as needed). Increase the heat and cook for several minutes until some of the liquid evaporates.
- Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water to the skillet if the mixture seems too dry for you.
- Transfer to individual bowls, garnish with red pepper flakes, the shredded Parmesan, and top with a few tablespoons of the chickpeas (save any extras to snack on).
Nutrition
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