A delicious vegetarian lunch with chickpeas and mushrooms and whole wheat spaghetti – so quick to make and very healthy. As a bonus, it keeps you full longer and controls your appetite.
Every Sunday (except when I am out of town) I like to try a new recipe or to bring a new twist to an old one. So yesterday I got creative and combined the two of my favorite ingredients, chickpeas and mushrooms with whole wheat spaghetti. The sauce is made of fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes.
I like my sauce to be a little spicy but you can omit the red pepper flakes and cut back a bit on the garlic if you want.
Chickpeas have a delicious nutlike taste and a texture that is buttery, yet somewhat starchy and pasty. Like other beans, chickpeas are rich in dietary fiber which helps us prevent digestive disorders and stabilize blood sugar levels.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, chickpeas are a good source of protein and iron boost (they can boost your energy because of their high iron content). Regular intake of chickpeas can also lower your bad cholesterol. Due to high fiber content and low GI (glycemic index), chickpeas are excellent for weight loss diets.
Have you tried this mix of ingredients yet? To my surprise, it’s such a tasty and nutritious lunch. If you decide to give it a try, please share with us how it went. Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
- 1/2 package of whole wheat spaghetti
- 1/2 cup / 120 ml raw chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 250 g fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
- 8 fresh cherries tomatoes
- 2 small size onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- SOAKING AND COOKING CHICKPEAS
- Place chickpeas into a bowl, cover with twice as much water and let soak overnight.
- Rinse and drain very well, place them in a cooking pot, cover with water twice the amount of chickpeas, add a pinch of salt and pepper and cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Before to set them aside to cool, try them to see if tender.
- PREPARATION
- Cook the whole wheat spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- For the sauce, blend the cherries tomatoes with a little ginger, 1 small onion and 3 cloves of garlic in a food processor/blender.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the other onion and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for about 3 mins until golden and soft. Reduce the heat to a lower level and add the chickpeas, the mushrooms and the tomatoes sauce. Let them simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season carefully with sea salt and pepper.
- After the spaghetti are cooked, drain and serve them on the plate. Pour the chickpeas sauce over it and drizzle with fresh parsley.
Chickpeas and mushroom in spaghetti wow love love love it….
Yeaaahhh! 🙂 It’s a delicious dish worth to try 🙂 Thanks Chitra
Love chickpeas and Mushrooms. They are my all time fav ingredients.
Wow, I am so glad to hear that! 🙂 Thanks a lot!P.S. Let me know how it goes if you decide it to try it out.