Perfect summer lunch or light dinner. Enjoy with grilled BBQ mushrooms or on its own!
Serves
4-6
Ingredients
- 340g orzo pasta
- 1 ¼ cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 6 garlic cloves, 5 cloves thinly sliced and 1 clove grated or crushed through a press
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 50g sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Method
Dry chickpeas in paper towel.
Heat a frying pan with the 2 teaspoons oil. Once hot, add the chickpeas and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes to allow some browning. Toss and cook for another 3 minutes until chickpeas are golden brown and blistered in spots.
Add the salt, oregano, paprika, thyme, and onion powder to the chickpeas, and toss well to coat the chickpeas. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes to allow flavors to blend, then take off the heat and wipe out the pan.
Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve 1 cup of cooking water.
In a small bowl, combine the chopped basil, the 1 clove of grated garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and several pinches of flaky salt. Set aside.
Heat the ¼ cup olive oil in the same frying pan used for the chickpeas. Once the oil is warm (but not too hot), add the 5 cloves of sliced garlic and cook, swirling the pan or stirring frequently and separating the slices until the garlic just turns golden. Add the preserved lemon peel and chili flakes and cook for another 1 minute, swirling the pan often. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the frying pan and whisk to combine. Add in the hot cooked orzo, lemon juice, and sundried tomatoes, tossing to combine. Add another 1/4 cup of pasta water to bring sauce together.
Add in the spinach and toss gently until wilted. Add in the spiced chickpeas and toss again. Take off the heat. Add the basil mixture and toasted pine nuts and toss gently. Taste for seasonings, adding lemon juice or salt as needed.
Note
Add more healthy goodness by adding jarred capsicum, broccoli, roasted zucchini, roast eggplant or thinly sliced red onion.
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Sparkling Eats 
looks delicious!