This is a super fresh, super summer lemongrass pasta salad! It’s rich with pickled chickpeas, al dente pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of Parmesan cheese.
Make this your weekly (daily?) It is a reminder that truly delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated.
Garlic, lemon, herbs, olive oil, and other basic ingredients are ready. They’re usually in the pantry or the fridge, and they’ll always serve us well.
Let me introduce you to a versatile dish: Lemongrass pasta salad with pickled chickpeas. It’s a deliciously soft pasta coated with a silky olive oil and lemon juice ‘sauce’, tossed with chickpeas soaked in a flavoring bath of fresh garlic and herbs. Finish with more herbs, plenty of salt, pepper and some Parmesan cheese. Whether you prefer it warm or cold, as a side dish, main dish or snack, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding Y-E-S.
Here’s all you need:
- Pasta that is al dente, soft, and suitable for noodles
- Cute little chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Basil and parsley
- GARLIC
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
I appreciate your interest in this recipe and your understanding of the minimal effort I put in to create it, and the major delicious rewards I expect.
This has served me well on two levels.
“Pickled chickpeas” is a fancy way to make you feel fancy, but it effortlessly infuses the whole thing with a garlic, lemon, and herb flavor.
First, grab the pantry ingredients. Down.
We use fewer ingredients here, so quality is essential! If you can find authentic pasta with an extraordinary texture, good solid olive oil that tastes like olive oil, and a jar of chickpeas that never makes you uncomfortable, you’re halfway there.
The pasta is cooked.
The chickpeas are marinated. Overnight would be ideal, but haha. If you’re on a tight schedule, I guarantee your mouth will still be happy with the work done. Let all the flavor out of the chickpeas, and you prepare the rest. If you’re feeling bold, mash them up with a fork so they can absorb some of the extra flavor.
Toss with herbs, cheese, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and other good things you like….
And YOU’RE EATING THIS YUMMY LUNCH.
Or second lunch. Or bedtime snack.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas is there for you this week. THERE. FOR. YOU.
- Mix everything in a shallow bowl and prepare to marinate the chickpeas. For best taste, marinate for 8 hours or overnight. But hey, if you don’t have time, just put all that aside while you prepare the rest of the pasta. Everything’s fine.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. It’s as simple as following the instructions on the pack. When the pasta is hot, stir with the pickled chickpeas and let it cool slightly. No need to stress, it’s all coming together beautifully.
- Add more olive oil (as needed). Add lemon juice, zest, and herbs—season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese at the end so it doesn’t melt completely. Warm, cold, or room temperature, with lemon, Parmesan, and vanilla as desired!
