Simple Suppers-Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

I came home from vacation on a Sunday night to an empty fridge.  I was so tired of eating fast food that the thought of another French fry made me want to chuck.  Luckily, while we were making family feasts on our trip, my sister whipped up a yummy dish.  It was a sauté that included chickpeas, and a can of diced tomatoes along with some other veggies and my all time favorite spice...cumin.  It inspired this simple and speedy pantry dinner.  So, if you are too tired after a long day to make a labor intensive meal(or you have NOTHING in your fridge), try this. 

Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. cumin (or more to taste)

1 tsp. coriander (or more to taste)

1 can (15-ish oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can (15-ish oz.) diced tomatoes

about 1/2 box pasta

salt and pepper

feta cheese, crumbled for topping (or parmesan or none if you have NOTHING)

 

Directions:

Heat a large pot of water to boiling and add pasta and salt and cook according to box directions.

While pot heats and pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Add garlic and cook, slowly being careful not to burn it, until straw colored and sticky.

Add cumin and coriander and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add chickpeas and crank heat up to medium.  Cook any residual moisture off beans.

Add tomatoes and raise heat to medium-high, allowing sauce to thicken slightly.

When pasta is almost done, scoop out of water with tongs or pasta scoop and toss directly into sauce.

Toss pasta and sauce together.  If it seems dry, add some pasta cooking liquid.

I grow parsley, so I minced some up and tossed it in to add a little color.

Serve topped with cheese.