Lemony Broccoli and Chickpea Penne

Inspiration:
Chef Marc Meyer's recipe, seen in Food and Wine Magazine

Ingredients:

• One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 pound penne or rigatoni
• 5 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpea mixture and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
4. Drain the rigatoni, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the broccoli and chickpeas along with the reserved cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the rigatoni is coated with sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve

Notes: Next time I will reduce the amount of garlic to 3 cloves and the amount of olive oil to 1/2 cup. I would also sprinkle lemon zest on top of the plated pasta.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10