Pasta and Chickpeas Casserole

Method as per Margaret Dahdah

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Acini di Peppe pasta ( small round pasta beads)
  • ½ of a 28 oz can diced, Stewed Tomatoes
  • ½ can Chickpeas drained
  • 1 or 2 Garlic chopped cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • 1 Bay leave

Meat options:  1 Turkey or Sausage Kolbassa sliced or small cubes. or small Sausages

Meatless option:  use 1 tbsp of Capers

Method:

  1. Cook Pasta by boiling water in a saucepan adding ½ tsp Salt. Once water is bubbling add 1 tsp Olive oil and drop in the pasta. Stir to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Cook pasta ‘al-dente’.
  2. The pasta is done, rinse and drain in colander and set aside.
  3. In the empty Saucepan; fry the garlic bits with 1tbsp of olive oil
  4. ** if Kolbassa is included, cut in cubes or slices and fry slightly **
  5. Add the stewed Tomatoes, Chickpeas, ½ tsp Salt, Pepper, Bay leave,
  6. ** if Capers are included add them now ** instead of Kolbassa.
  7. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes for Chickpeas to soften, make sure the sauce doesn’t drain out.
  8. Add the Pasta to the Sauce and stir it well mixing all items together nicely and taste for any desired additional spices.
  9. Texture in this particular meal would be a type of Casserole, as the Pasta would let its starch into the sauce making it a bit thick.

Enjoy this meal on it’s own as a Lunch snack or for Dinner with a side dish of BBQ sauce Chicken Wings or Drums.

A Caesar salad could be added to make this a big meal.