"The people who give you their food give you their heart" - Cesar Chavez


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Pasta with Pesto Sauce, Tuna, Roasted Broccoli, Chickpeas and Parmesan


I love the combination of whole wheat pasta, pesto sauce, tuna and (insert vegetables here)! Honestly, it's hard to go wrong: broccoli, carrots, zucchini, spinach, bell peppers, squash, you name it and I'm sure it will taste great. I had some leftover broccoli florets and half a can of chickpeas so I thought to incorporate them into this pasta combination. I also had a little but of dried penne pasta and fussili pasta, so I decided to combine them and because they very similar in size, this little medley worked out quite well! Also, I realize I have a habit of listing all the ingredients in the title of the post, leaving nothing for surprise. Hmmm.....I'll work on that. This dish is easy, healthy and keeps well for a few days making it the perfect dish for a quick weeknight meal and providing left-overs for tasty lunches :)

Ingredients:
Whole wheat penne pasta
Whole wheat fussili pasta
Canned tuna
Broccoli florets
Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Green onions, chopped
Parmesan, freshly grated
Olive oil
Garlic powder

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle a baking pan with olive oil. Place broccoli florets on pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder. Roast until the flower part of the broccoli is starting to brown and crisp, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a pot and cook pasta. When pasta is ready drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Place in a large glass dish. Add canned tuna, broccoli florets, chickpeas, green onions and pesto sauce. Gently mix to incorporate the sauce, adding more if necessary. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!


No comments: