Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce


Houston, we have a problem. Crazy people have taken me hostage. That's right. I think my family has gone crazy, especially the little ones. They've lost it. Anyone up for a rescue mission?

If so, please come prepared. I don't want you to be caught off guard when you encounter a certain sweet-faced, red-headed, three year old boy who accosts you by calling you a dumb ass. Apparently it's his favorite new word. I found out the hard way yesterday. All while shopping at a very crowded Target. He didn't just whisper it. He didn't just say it in a normal voice. No, he screamed it. Not just once. Not just twice. Three times. Three times he called me a dumb ass. His pronunciation and delivery were so clear. There was no mistaking it. I couldn't leave the store fast enough.

Warning: Plastic swords have been known to cast evil spells on children. Stay away from them if you value your humility.

You wanna know the funny part? I really don't like to take both kids shopping with me. I try to avoid it at all costs. But every once in awhile I get stubborn. I feel the need to persevere. I guess it's the allure of conquering an impossible task. A challenge yet to be won. I talk myself up. I tell myself that I can do it. Then I load them in the car and quietly wonder to myself "is this a dumb idea"? I already know the answer. Of course it's a dumb idea, but I don't listen. I take them against my better judgment. Even though I know it's a dumb idea. Only a dumb ass would do that, right?

After being called out by a three-year old, I returned home with something to prove. I felt a need to do something smart. And this pasta is very smart. So smart that I decided that I was no longer a dumb ass. I had graduated to a smart ass!

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2006
Serves 4
2 teaspoons olive oil (I reduced this to 1 tsp. with great results)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I say use more)
1 (15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce can chicken broth
1-1/2 cups uncooked medium seashell pasta (about 6 ounces or 4 cups cooked pasta)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I subbed two cups of fresh spinach)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; saute 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

While garlic mixture simmers, cook pasta in boiling water 9 minutes; drain well.

Place chickpea mixture in a food processor, and process until smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes (in my case spinach), minced garlic, parsley, and lemon juice, toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes/Results:
Loved this recipe! It's creamy, garlicky goodness that can be made from mostly pantry ingredients(great for when you have to leave the market w/out your groceries). Plus, it's healthy, tasty and inexpensive. Best of all, you will feel very smart when you eat it:)

Nutritional Facts:
Serves 4 (serving size 1 cup pasta and 2-1/4 teaspoons cheese)
Calories: 333
Fat: 9g
Protein: 13
Carb:57
Fiber: 7
Chol: 3mg
Iron: 3.3mg
Calc: 92mg
**Weight Watchers Points = 7

P.S. I'll leave you with a little something to think about. Something that most people would never think of. People don't always remember the children who display bad behavior in public. However, they always remember the redheaded ones. They remember their hair. They remember their faces and they remember that redheaded temper. No amount of time will cause them to forget that your little redhead was the one who pulled the fire alarm at the elementary school, broke the cabinet at the doctor's office, or hollered dumb ass in Target. Nope, there's no living it down. Inevitably, someone always says "I remember you......."

24 comments:

  1. Like you, I disliked taking my kids to the store when they were really little. They can push your buttons like no tomorrow and your son's blurting that out just made me crack up. We've all been there, but I promise it gets better as they get older. Now I actually like to take them shopping...well, sometimes!
    The pasta looks and sounds fabulous. Who could resist a brilliant cream sauce? lol

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  2. Oh poor you but too funny! ;-) I want you to know that I have always considered you a smart ass!

    The pasta dish looks like something I would love--pasta, chickpeas and garlic--what's not to like?!

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  3. Oh I'm so sorry you had to experience that, Kim! You just never know what kids are going to do or when they're going to act out next. Or why. There really is no "why". Sounds like you handled it well with your stunning sense of humor. And you showed him by making this super smart super tasty pasta. Oh my lord it looks good.

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  4. That's all true, sad and funny - Tristan grew up in a family that loves Monty Python and once I was dragging him out from under a clothing rack and he starts yelling to people, "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!!" People thought i was kidnapping him. Kids...they give ya gray hairs!

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  5. OMG I was literally laughing out loud at my desk reading that! People were looking at me funny... I can relate though. Sometime I'll tell you about the time I took my son to daycare and he proceeded to tell everyone "My Mommy beats me". It was GREAT. He was two.

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  6. Quite frankly, I adore red hair. Even though I am a brunette, I always get my hair dyed red (though it comes out as a very dark brown/red). I dont have much of a temper though... maybe cause its not my real colour (?).
    Love the pasta, looks so creamy and rich. Very comforting.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    *kisses* HH
    p.s. do u have an iphone? There is a new Mario Batali app that just came out. I downloaded it yesterday. Its really nice :)

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  7. Haha! I nanny for two little red heads and you are so right! The younger one is a little devil and the class clown, while the older one is the quiet type. Anywhere we go they get tons of attention!

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  8. been there, done that. Mine is kinda a red-head too.

    We actually had a security guard follow us out of target once. Now THAT was embarrassing.

    Love your pasta dish BTW. I am tagging it in Delicious!

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  9. "Only a dumb ass would do that"...this whole post is hilarious. Hope you can laugh about it now. I never thought about how memorable little red headed children are, but you're right!

    The pasta dish is very clever...I'd say even smart assish.

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  10. LOL, I have no desire to take my kids shopping. In fact I loathe it! My boys are dreadful to take (they are 8 and 12) and hate shopping anyway and my 17 year old why not quite as bad as her brothers, always "needs" so much stuff while we are out that based alone on my empty wallet afterward I don't enjoy taking her ;o)
    But that pasta, now that sounds divine! I could eat a bowl full of this and call it a day! Delicious :o)

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  11. Kim, I'm really sorry you had to go through that but I have to admit I was laughing my "ass" off. :o) It's easy for me to laugh now that my kids are adults, lol! And what a great pasta recipe for so very little calories. Yum!

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  12. Lord, you never know what they're going to come out with, do you? All parents face the same thing. I used to pretend they didn't belong to me!

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  13. I have a chickpea pasta recipe we just love. This looks delicious!

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  14. Hilarious! I can sympathize with you for sure! My younger son told his kindergarten teacher and class that his dad was an alcoholic, which was very far from the truth. Had no idea of where he even heard of the word, but we heard about this from the teacher and friends also. We thought about disowning him!!!! Love your pasta dish!

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  15. bwaaa haa haa haa (sorry)!!!! Seriously, I can't talk because I'm laughing. I mean, it totally sucks, but I get it...been there...or close to there, at least! Ah kids, the lights of our lives. Pasta sounds amazing =)

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  16. Ba ha ha ha ha ha - that's such a great story! It really made me laugh out loud, because I could totally picture it.

    But I've got news for you - even though my kids are much older (13 and 11, ahem) I still try to avoid taking both of them shopping with me.

    My mother, of course, thinks I'm a nut case. The stories she could tell.......

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  17. I agree with your son, it is a pretty fun word. Don't tell him I said so. If I can leave out the chickpeas, I'll take two helpings of this!

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  18. That's a very unique use for chickpeas. Looks and sounds delicious :)

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  19. You're so funny Kim in how you told this story! I loved it! You'll be telling these stories about your kids later one and people will laugh so hard. Maybe a little painful now, but very hilarious later on! Sort of like when my daughter 'mooned' the audience during a dance recital when she was about 3 years old. Needless to say, I yanked her out of dance lessons forever! PS.....I am enjoying all of these Cooking Light recipes; so yummy and still good for us. Can you post this on my blog hop going on right now? Totally up to you. Have a lovely weekend and have fun with those kids while they are still young!

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  20. Great story. Kids in the store has to every mother's nightmare. Love how you handled it. I'm making one of your chicken recipes tomorrow for dinner, I'll let you know how it goes. This recipe looks delicious. So helpful to have the nutritional informtation.

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  21. Red headed?

    I suspect at this point he is more "red assed" shortly after.

    It's one of those things that the rest of us parents can laugh about only because we have been there.

    Just wait until he is 11 and tells you his football coaches are ****ing stupid. Especially if you don't know whether to agree or scold him for using the word ;)

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  22. Ok, that was a really cute post and a delicious looking meal. And yea, I don't like taking them all with me to the store either. That's the problem with summer. If you think two is hard, try your hand at three. Sometimes it takes days to recover from the experience.

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  23. You told this story in such a charming way! And you're so right - redheads are memorable. But you really did prove him wrong with this delicious pasta! Love me some chickpeas and pasta!

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