Cascatelli Pasta with Pesto and Chickpeas
Serves 4
5 mins prep
15 mins cook
20 mins total
Cascatelli pasta with pesto, chickpeas and kale, topped with creamy grated ricotta salata cheese. This super-tasty pasta is a satisfying meatless meal that's ready to eat in 15 minutes.
Other short pasta shapes with ridges such as penne, rigatoni or ziti will work perfectly in this recipe.
Get FREE mobile app to save your favorite recipes
Scan QR code to download mobile
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a stockpot or large saucepan. Add 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt, until the water tastes pleasantly salty.
Cook the pasta until al dente, 13-15 minutes. Scoop out and reserved ¾ cup of the cooking water and reserve.
Put the kale in a a colander. Drain the pasta over the kale (this will quickly wilt it).
Put the pesto and red pepper in a large serving bowl.
Pour in the pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time and stir until it looks smooth and saucy.
Transfer the pasta and kale to the serving bowl along with the chickpeas. Toss everything together with the sauce until the pasta is coated. Drizzle in more water if needed.
Sprinkle the cheese over the pasta and serve.
