Quick Chickpea Pasta

by Amy

Substitutions: None


Rating: 5

You could argue that this barely qualifies as a recipe (I mean, it's tinned chickpeas and pasta mixed together, I'm not making a croquembouche here) but this is what attracted me to Quick Chickpea Pasta. I was looking for a no-brainer to fill the boyfriend's lunchbox with, and though Hugh recommends this "wholesome, hearty and quick" supper be served hot, I thought this would make a basic, economical tupperware filler.

Which it does. It's not like this isn't fit for purpose although there are a a few ways Quick Chickpea Pasta could be a lot quicker. Hugh had me slivering garlic and mincing chilli and frying them oh so gently in a little pool of the olive oil I'm dressing the peas 'n' pasta with like some sort of... cook. Or something. At least, he did the first time I made this. This time I wised up and didn't sliver the garlic, just squashed it and took it out at the end, leaving the oil garlic infused but actual garlic free! Look at me, innovating. YEAH. I still faffed about with the chilli though. Of course, Nigella would just take bottled garlic and chilli oil out of her posh pantry and skip this step altogether, and if I had done the same I guess I wouldn't be screaming in pain right now having touched my eyes with my fingers. That stuff is dangerous!

As to the taste of the stuff, it is about as nice as chickpeas and pasta are. Not more than the sum of its parts. Although I did manage to elevate the experience with the use of ANIMAL SHAPED PASTA.