Incredibly Easy Weeknight Pasta: Cavatappi with Bacon, Spinach, and Chickpeas

 

It's Monday, so it's time to get back to work. Long hours, no time to cook. That's where this fun pasta dish comes in. We made this last week at around 9 pm since it only took a few minutes to finish off completely. That said, it's got bacon, chickpeas, and spinach, so it is both delicious and, maybe, healthy.

Making the Dish
Get your ingredients together, start boiling your water with some salt, and throw in the pasta. Cooking the rest of the dish should only take as long as the water takes to boil and the pasta to finish.

Chopping the bacon and mincing the garlic

What you'll need
1/2 lb cavatappi or other curly pasta
1 can, chickpeas, rinsed
4 oz, spinach
3 strips, bacon
2 cloves, garlic, minced
1 tbsp, olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Chop up the bacon into small pieces. Throw the garlic and bacon into the olive oil and cook until fragrant and the bacon his crispy (add the bacon first to give it a head start so the garlic doesn't burn).  Then add the chickpeas and cook for a minute until warmed through.

Add the spinach to the chickpea and bacon mixture and stir to combine. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Then, add in a small ladle of pasta water and continue to stir, to thicken the sauce.

Add the cooked pasta to the chickpea, bacon, and spinach mix. Add a good portion of freshly ground black pepper, and then toss to combine over medium heat.

Serve with grated pecorino romano cheese and enjoy!











The Result
This is such a quick and easy dish that it almost doesn't warrant having a recipe post dedicated to it.

That said, it is incredibly satisfying. The flavor of the bacon and the texture of the chickpeas and spinach work wonderfully together and are a perfect coating for this curly pasta.

What's on the docket for you this week? Any quick and easy dishes that you'll be trying? Let us know in the comments!

One Year Ago: Rosemary Dijon BBQ Sauce & Mac and Cheese