A pasta collage with spinach, chickpeas and breadcrumbs

Whether you went to preschool, ovoda or skolka, I bet you probably made some kind of artwork involving beans and bits of macaroni and a lot of glue. It’s a childhood classic! The pasta collage I present to you here is a classic too, in that I have stolen great ideas from far and wide, and put them together in this tasty assemblage.

We probably eat a variation on this every week; it’s not too involved, nutritious, and can usually be pulled together without a mad dash to the grocery store. You can sub in any kind of leafy green, use a different type of bean, add some cheese, or make mustard breadcrumbs instead of these almondy ones. It’s all good, pretty much. I know it seems like there is a lot to do here, but especially if you use canned beans and that bagged, pre-washed spinach, it comes together fast. Just give your onions enough time to get a lovely caramel color and you’ll be on your way.

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Pasta with spinach, chickpeas and breadcrumbs

The one problem I have with this recipe is that it’s not quite enough for a package of pasta; if you use the whole pound of noodles they overtake the other elements and it’s not as good. I deal with this by setting aside some of the pasta for the kids’ lunches; of course you could either double the amount of the other ingredients and go hog wild, or just don’t cook the whole bag of pasta.

Ingredients

Makes about four servings

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large clove garlic

2 heaping tablespoons almond meal (or ¼ cup almonds, finely ground)

⅓ cup breadcrumbs (I use panko but any plain crumbs will do)

1 large onion

1 can chickpeas (about 1½ cups), drained

8 ounces/225 g fresh spinach, rinsed and any tough stems removed

salt and pepper to taste

12 ounces/340 g pasta

parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Method

First, make the breadcrumbs. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat in a small pan. Run the garlic through a press or grate it into the oil and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the almond meal and stir for another minute, breaking up any clumps. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until toasty brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Tip the crumbs into a small dish and set aside.

Slice the onion in half, then into thin half-moons. Warm the second tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and a rich brown color, about ten minutes.

At this point, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the chickpeas to the onions and cook for another five or so minutes.

By now, your water should be boiling; add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

Add the spinach to the onion-chickpea mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir — you may need to add the spinach a handful at a time to wilt it down and make room.

When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving some of the water. In a serving bowl, toss the pasta with the spinach mixture, adding some splashes of the pasta water to get everything to mingle nicely and get all distributed.

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the breadcrumbs on top.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and the remaining breadcrumbs on the side, and let your diners add them to their own serving so they don’t lose their crunch.