Heart2Heart

Whole-Wheat Penne with Broccoli & Chickpeas

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 16 min

Serves: 6

Cost per serving: $1.08

Salt

1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stems discarded

12 oz whole-wheat penne

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 small lemons)

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli; cook until just tender, 3 minutes. Scoop out broccoli with a slotted spoon; transfer to a bowl. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas, reserved broccoli and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring, until heated through.

3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot and stir in chickpea and broccoli mixture and lemon juice. Stir in reserved cooking liquid, 1 Tbsp at a time, until pasta is lightly moistened. Spoon pasta into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Kitchen Tips

• Switch pastas. - A short-shaped pasta works best in this recipe, but it doesn't have to be penne. Corkscrews, bowties, shells or elbow macaroni work just as well.
• Keep it snappy. - It's important not to cook the broccoli too long. A bit of crispness offsets the softness of the chickpeas.