Best Garlic Pasta Recipe
Need something for healthy dinner tonight, and fast? Make this garlic pasta! My favorite easy pasta recipe and childhood meal, it's full of healthy vegetables and protein-rich chickpeas. Easily made in just 15 minutes, it's a staple meal that requires very few ingredients and is so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2-3 large heads broccoli
- 1 red bell pepper optional
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 10-16 oz pasta of choice gluten-free if necessary
- 5-8 large garlic cloves
- 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- For serving: cherry tomatoes cashew parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, fresh basil, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set a large pot of water on stove to boil. Chop broccoli and peppers into bite sized pieces.* Drain chickpeas and add to colander with peppers and broccoli, rinsing thoroughly.
- When the large pot is boiling, add desired amount of pasta (a full box if you're cooking for a family) and let boil per package instructions. In the last couple of minutes, add vegetable/chickpea mix.
- While pasta is cooking, mince garlic finely and add a pinch of salt. Salting the garlic while mincing will help draw out more flavor. Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet and heat to medium-low. Saute garlic until golden and fragrant but not burned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drain your pasta and vegetables (without rinsing), and add into a large bowl (or back into the same pot, off of heat). Pour garlic/olive oil mixture on top and combine. Serve with toppings of choice.
Notes
*Don't throw away the stems of your broccoli! After peeling rough outer skin of stalks, diced into small chunks and add to rest of vegetables. The texture is similar to that of a water chestnut.
