Pasta with Crispy Chickpeas, Kale, Lemon and Ricotta

This is one of those pastas that’s infinitely flexible, depending on what’s in your pantry or local store. You can make it with any shape of pasta, a variety of different greens, and lots of different cheeses. It’s been a quarantine cooking favorite for my entire family, especially on nights when everyone is honestly straight up over it, and absolutely no one has the energy required to cook or eat anything heavy. We’ve also been trying to eat vegetarian several times a week, both for health reasons and in the wake of the climate catastrophe hurtling towards us alongside the pandemic. Such a fun year! I was actually a vegetarian for almost 9 years and still don’t really love cooking meat, so the challenge has been a welcome return to my culinary comfort zone. You could easily make it vegan instead by using a non-dairy vegan cheese.

Recipe

Ingredients

12oz dried pasta (any shape, but I often like penne, fusilli, or linguini)

15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5oz kale, spinach, or chard

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus some extra for drizzling

Zest of one lemon

8oz ricotta cheese

2 tsp salt, plus more for the pasta

1 tbsp Maldon sea salt for finishing

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions (make sure to salt the water) and drain but don't rinse. When the pasta is drained, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pasta to prevent sticking.

While pasta is cooking, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Pat the chickpeas dry (as much as you can) with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Add them to the pan with 1 clove of garlic and a little salt. Cook until the chickpeas are crispy on all sides, stirring occasionally as needed. Try not to stir too much or they won't get crispy. When the chickpeas are cooked, set them aside.

To the same pan, add another 2 tbsp of olive oil along with the kale, remaining 2 garlic cloves, and big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is bright in color and crispy.

To assemble the dish, divide the pasta evenly amongst the plates, then add kale and chickpeas to each, and top with ricotta and lemon zest. Finish each plate with a little drizzle of olive oil and some Maldon sea salt. 

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