Quinoa Pasta with Chickpea Marinara

A red sauce with chickpeas? Ummm. Yeah!

Sadly, I wasn't cooking as much as I would have liked. Artie had been taking the reins. I totally appreciated it, but also felt bad. So, on Saturday, I gave him another night off from the kitchen, and begun to dig around the cabinets to see what I could whip together. With a can of chickpeas, a couple of cans of tomato sauce and some veggies, I put together a chickpea marinara to go atop of some pasta for a lovely comfort-food dinner. 

We used quinoa pasta, but you can use whatever kind of pasta you like. I'd also recommend serving over rice  or as a red rice casserole. Served up with a side salad or some steamed veggies, it's very satifying.

Quinoa Pasta with Chickpea Marinara

Source: Mac's Saturday Night Vegan Special

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb quinoa pasta, cooked (Ancient Harvest is a great brand)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c. carrots, chopped
• 1/4 c. vegetable broth* 
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste*
• 2 8oz can of tomato sauce*
• 1 15oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground red pepper
• Dash of parsley as garnish

* = No salt added variety is preferred

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Begin to prepare sauce while pasta is cooking
2. Add a bit of cooking spray to a large saucepan. Heat, then add sliced garlic. Saute until lightly browned
3. Add onions, bell pepper, carrots and vegetable broth to the pan. Cook until onions start to become tender tender (about 5 minutes).
4. Add tomato paste and sauce to pan, and bring mixture to a boil. Then, add chickpeas and stir in spices. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes
5. When serving, ladle sauce over cooked pasta

Leftovers for lunch, topped with balsamic-marinated mushroom