Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Chickpea Pasta

Adapted from Cheap, Healthy, Good

We've been planning this meal for a couple of weeks, and with the weekend we finally got a chance to cook it. But even tonight there was a little delay. Late this afternoon there was a tornado watch for our county, so we flipped on the news to watch the forecast for the incoming storm. When the weatherman said the tornado was headed to hit west Greenville on its course through eastern NC, we darted to the clubhouse and took shelter in the gym bathroom with 4 other friends, a neighbor, and his 2 dogs. After waiting it out there until the coast was clear, it was already late into the night, but we were so ready for this meal! It's a simple recipe and made for a great dinner, especially accompanied by breathtaking heat lightning and a full moon.

Ingredients:

• 1 14.5 oz. can chickpeas, drained
• 1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 12-oz. bag steamable broccoli
• 2 1/2 cups pasta shells
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• Ground black pepper
• Grated parmesan, optional

Directions:

Fill a medium-size bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes. Microwave a steamable bag of broccoli for about one minute under the recommended time, then drop broccoli into bowl of ice water. After a few minutes, drain and set broccoli aside.

In a small bowl, stir chickpeas with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, for 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and chickpeas and cook until heated, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broccoli. Salt and pepper to taste. Once warm, add pasta to the skillet and mix well. Once heated through, serve and enjoy! Sprinkle parmesan on top if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

View from our deck as we watched the far away storm: