Cascatelli Pasta with Pesto and Chickpeas
Cascatelli pasta with pesto, chickpeas and kale, topped with creamy grated ricotta salata cheese. This super-tasty pasta is a satisfying meatless meal that's ready to eat in 15 minutes.Other short pasta shapes with ridges such as penne, rigatoni or ziti will work perfectly in this recipe.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound (225 g) dried cascatelli pasta
- Kosher salt
- 4 ounces (125 g) basil pesto sauce
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 bunch kale stemmed and chopped, or other leafy greens
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained
- ¼ cup grated ricotta salata or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a stockpot or large saucepan. Add 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt, until the water tastes pleasantly salty.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, 13-15 minutes. Scoop out and reserved ¾ cup of the cooking water and reserve.
- Put the kale in a a colander. Drain the pasta over the kale (this will quickly wilt it).
- Put the pesto and red pepper in a large serving bowl.
- Pour in the pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time and stir until it looks smooth and saucy.
- Transfer the pasta and kale to the serving bowl along with the chickpeas. Toss everything together with the sauce until the pasta is coated. Drizzle in more water if needed.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the pasta and serve.
Video
Notes
- Salt the cooking water generously until it tastes pleasantly salty. I suggest 2-3 tablespoons per 4 quarts of water. The water becomes part of the sauce, so you want it to be seasoned well.
- Any leftovers keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator, although the pasta will absorb the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 12gFat: 14gSodium: 298mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
