Fresh basil, tomatoes and chickpeas pasta

by Shalveena Rohde,

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 can of chickpeas (425g), drained and rinsed
  • 4 to 5 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (preferably the water from cooking pasta)
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper
  • fresh basil - lots of it! I used 1/2 of a large bunch.

Method

  1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium to low heat.
  2. Add in the garlic and fry until the garlic start to get crispy (but before it starts turning brown at the edges).
  3. Add the chickpeas and 2 Tbsp of water. Continue frying for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the chickpeas are frying (not steaming/boiling). Careful that it doesn't start burning/sticking at the bottom.
  4. Add the mushrooms (and a splash of water if needed). Stir to mix in the mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients. Once the mushrooms start to wilt, add in the tomatoes, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of oregano together with freshly cracked pepper.
  5. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are very soft and have broken down completely. Check it from time to time and add more water as needed. I added 1/4 cup of water.
  6. Before serving, add in the torn fresh basil and mix it into the sauce.
  7. Enjoy with pasta!