Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Spinach and Rosemary

🥘 Ingredients

• aleppo pepper (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes) (optional)
  1/2 teaspoon
• black pepper
• chickpeas (14-ounce, rinsed and drained)
  1 can
• garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  2
• heavy cream
  1 cup
• lemon wedges (for serving)
• oil (olive)
  1/4 cup
• parmesan (finely grated)
  1/2 cup
• rosemary (finely chopped fresh, plus more for garnish)
  2 teaspoons
• salt (kosher)
• shallots (large, finely chopped)
  1
• spaghetti or bucatini
  12 ounces
• spinach (baby, 6-ounce)
  1 bag

🍳 Cookware

• pot
• skillet
• bowl

1. 1

   Gather spaghetti or bucatini , garlic cloves .

   spaghetti or bucatini: 12 ounces, garlic cloves: 2 (finely chopped)
2. 2

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
3. 3

   In a wide, deep skillet , heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas , rosemary and aleppo pepper , if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, ⏱️ 5-7 minutes . Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl . Reserve for garnish.

   oil: 1/4 cup (olive), chickpeas: 1 can (14-ounce, rinsed and drained), rosemary: 2 teaspoons (finely chopped fresh, plus more for garnish), aleppo pepper: 1/2 teaspoon (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes), salt (kosher)
4. 4

   Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about ⏱️ 3 minutes . Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about ⏱️ 3 minutes . Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

   shallots: 1 (large, finely chopped), heavy cream: 1 cup, spinach: 1 bag (baby, 6-ounce)
5. 5

   Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about ⏱️ 5 minutes . Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the parmesan , and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about ⏱️ 2 minutes . Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed.

   parmesan: 1/2 cup (finely grated)
6. 6

   Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper . Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on top.

   black pepper, lemon wedges (for serving)