This chickpea pasta salad is in heavy rotation on the menu and we are really enjoying salads these days. You can tell by the few salads posted in the past few weeks. There comes a time when sometimes you just go with the flow, and these days we are enjoying these different salads. And, channa our local term for chickpeas or garbanzo beans has been making the cut every time we are making our salads. We just can't get enough of this bean. This chickpea pasta salad is a variation of the Channa Salad we did recently; it is one of my son's favourites.
When we think of channa or chickpeas here in Trinidad and Tobago, most of us think curried channa and aloo or channa cutters. I want people to know that your favourite legume can be enjoyed in other ways. One way is in a salad. Channa can be very fulling, so this salad can be your main dish if you are eating just salads.
If you do, you will enjoy a very nutritious meal that is low in calories. Channa contains a lot of healthy minerals (such as copper, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus), vitamin B6, carbohydrates, protein, and lots of fiber. This is certainly a complete meal. It is a complete meal that is very easy to prepare once planned in advance.
Chickpea Pasta Salad Recipe
I prefer dried garbanzo beans, and I suggest you start with the dried beans. The over-processed tinned channa tends to be a little too salty and lacks the pure taste of pressure cooked chickpeas. I suggest you soak you chickpeas first, rinse and then pressure cook. You will taste the difference, believe me.
Also, I used bow tie pasta to my salad for a little flair and creativity. I did not add a lot of bow tie pasta since I didn't want too much carbs in the dish. If you like you can increase the amount by a half cup (uncooked bow tie pasta). So without much delay, here is my family's favourite Chickpea Pasta Salad
CHICKPEA PASTA SALAD
1 cup uncooked bow tie macaroni
1/2 lb. dried channa
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup pitted black olives
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Grated cheese, sprinkle
Cook pasta in boiling water. Rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Next, pressure cook the chickpeas. Rinse under cold water. Set aside
Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, garlic,
cheese, olives, salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice.
Toss together lightly and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
A bowl of delicious chickpea pasta salad. Yummy.
Chickpea Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked bow tie macaroni
- 1/2 lb. dried channa
- 4 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup pitted black olives
- 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Grated cheese sprinkle
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water. Rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Next, pressure cook the chickpeas. Rinse under cold water. Set aside
- Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, garlic,
- cheese, olives, salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice.
- Toss together lightly and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
Well that's all for now. Hope you liked my chickpea pasta salad.
Ah gone 🙂