Penne with Garbanzo Bean

Garbanzo Beans or chickpeas are the most widely consumed versatile legume in the world. Originating in the Middle East, they are a noted ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes such as hummus, falafels and curries.

Garbanzo beans have a firm texture with a delicious nutlike taste and buttery texture. Garbanzo beans provide a source of protein that can be enjoyed year-round; they can be purchased either dried or canned. Usually pale yellow in color, however there are red, black, and brown varieties of chickpeas.

Garbanzo beans are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and help reduce blood pressure. They are a useful source of folate, vitamin E, potassium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and calcium. In addition to lowering cholesterol, they prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, or pasta.

If using canned beans, please note that most varieties are canned in a salt solution, so rinse well before using.

You can use any type of grain pasta whole wheat, multigrain, kamut, spelt, brown rice pasta. I prefer the shape of the penne (tubes) for this recipe.

Penne Rigate is thin tube pasta with sharp diagonally cut ends, which resemble the end of a quill pen. Penne pasta is approximately 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches in length. The rigate in the pasta name indicates that the pasta has a ridged surface. Penne is also available with a smooth surface.

Make sure to cook the penne “Al dente”. This is a fancy term for pasta that's fully cooked, but not overly soft. The phrase is Italian for "to the tooth," which comes from testing the pasta's consistency with your teeth.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Garbanzo beans (follow package directions if using dried beans)
• 4 cups whole grain cooked Penne pasta al dente
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 2 cups steamed broccoli, cut into chunks with stems
• 1 bulb garlic chopped
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh grated parmesan to taste
• Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

• Cook penne according to directions on box.
• Sauté onion and garlic in a 2 Tbsp. of olive oil until onion is transparent.
• Steam broccoli until it is slightly crisp.
• Add all ingredients together, with a large spoon lightly toss with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• Add more olive oil or parmesan if desired.

Serving suggestions

• Serve Penne with Garbanzo at room temperature with B.B.Q chicken and a large green salad.
• This dish will definitely get everyone’s attention.

If you want to add robustness to this dish try adding a few hot chilies.

Bon Appetite!...TKH