Last couple weeks was pretty hectic, and it looks like it’s just a beginning. I struggle to accommodate working, sleeping eating with doing the things I like to do. To the disadvantage of the last ones. On my way back from work I always make plans what I’m going to do, but when I eventually get home it turns out my head is barely working and all I can do is eat and sleep. And that’s how I didn’t post any new recipe which is very disappointing for me, I guess none else doesn’t really care, but I had so many plans in my head and it’s so frustrating that I don’t have enough energy to pick up myself from the sofa and do something more creative than watching YouTube.

And our current diet doesn’t help us much. Because we’ve decided that during Spring and Summer we will stop with keto and start more plant and carb based diet also meant that we need to eat more often. Or at least I have to. Which is pretty annoying comparing to 2 meals that we have had on keto, I feel like I’m constantly hungry. Working in a restaurant doesn’t really help and turns out that my favourite trousers from last Summer can barely fit me. Well I tell to myself that this shall past as well.

In the meantime I would like to introduce one of the quick and easy meals that I serve right now. It’s my old recipe, but works on these days when cooking is the last thing I’d like to think of. Pasta – perfect base for all easy-peasy thoughtless meals. At least I try to choose a little bit more nutritious ones and buy wholemeal.

The idea for this casserole was taken from the accidentally discovered couple years ago culinary show “Lidia’s kitchen” or something like that . Lidia is an American of Italian origin, therefore many of the dishes she prepares have Italian character or somehow refer to Italian cuisine. I like cooking programs that focus the viewer’s attention on the dish being prepared, and not on the person of the cook. Where the various stages of the preparation of the dish are presented, along with the final landing on the plate, and where the chef explains not only what, but also why, he or she prepares the dish exactly the way it is. And so from the episode watched, the most memorable thing for me is the casserole of wholemeal pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce. Simple, fast and nourishing. And tasty.

I used to make this kind of pasta very often. If you’d like to see more of these kind of recipes let me know I have quite a lot of it up my sleeve 🙂

quick and easy chickpeas & tomato wholemeal pasta

INGREDIENTS for 2 large portions with leftovers:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 3 large garlic cloves
• about 300g wholemeal penne
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• natural rock salt
• pinch of chilli flakes
• your favourite cheese (parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS

In a large non-stick pan (or a non-stick pot in my case) heat up some olive oil. Garlic is cut into slices and fry for literally 2 minutes, so that it does not burn and become bitter. Then add chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Simmer over low heat, boiling salted water for pasta in another pot.

Cook the pasta al dente – when baking it will absorb the liquid from the tomato sauce and soften it.

Add chickpeas and a pinch of chilli to the stewed tomatoes. Stir and finally add the cooked pasta. Mix thoroughly so that all the pasta is covered with sauce. Now either put it in a greased baking dish, sprinkle generously with cheese and bake in the oven (180 ° C, until the cheese melts), or, in my case, leave it on the plate for another 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Which is also much faster.

Serve immediately, if left for a few hours, the pasta will drain all the liquid from the sauce and soften. Although, go ahead if you don’t mind. Enjoy your meal!