This one-pot pasta is like a grown-up mac n’ cheese. It’s slightly spicy from lots of black pepper and the little orzo are coated in a light, glossy sauce thanks to parmesan or pecorino and the magic of pasta water. You could easily up the cheese or leave out the greens or chickpeas, depending on your preferences.
Ingredient Highlight
Pasta! I have a deep love for pasta. It’s delicious, it’s a great vehicle for other ingredients, and it nourishes me inside and out.
“Pasta contains a high amount of protein (in the form of gluten) and starch, a complex carbohydrate. Some of that starch is resistant starch, which gets fermented in the large intestine, becoming a form of fiber. If the word “carbohydrate” were replaced by the word “fiber” when referring to pasta, and the word “gluten” replaced with “protein” – suddenly things become very different. Pasta provides the body with protein, fiber, and energy.” – Letitia Clark, Bitter Honey
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 16 oz orzo or other short pasta shape
- 1 bunch leafy greens, stems removed, chopped* (about 7 cups)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry (about 1 ½ cups)**
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 ½ cups finely grated parmesan and/or pecorino romano cheese***
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- *You can use kale, chard, spinach, or broccoli here. I’ve tested using about 2 cups frozen broccoli and a bunch of kale.
- **Easily sub sausage for chickpeas for a meatier version.
- ***I imagine you could also do this with grated cheddar or a mix of cheddar and parm (or any melty cheese). For a more cheesy mac experience, increase to 2 ½ cups cheese 🙂
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When there is about 2 minutes left, add in your greens, submerging them into the water, and continue to boil until pasta is cooked through. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water (it’s okay if orzo sneaks in there), then drain and set aside.
- Wipe the pot dry. Over medium-high heat, add the oil and stir in the chickpeas, black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Smash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher to break some of them down, then cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until chickpeas get a little crispy.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the pasta/greens, 2 cups pasta water, cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir constantly until a glossy sauce forms. If it’s looking dry, just stir in some tap water to loosen it up.
- Serve topped with more black pepper and cheese, if you’d like.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep 1 bunch leafy greens
- Grate 1 ½ cups cheese
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free pasta.
- To make vegan, skip the cheese and mash/mix up 2 tablespoons mellow white miso paste into the pasta water that you reserved. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Top with toasted walnuts for nuttiness. OR use a vegan cheese.
- I love orzo for this recipe, but you could use elbows or shells as well.
- Skip the greens if that’s not your thing!
- Substitute sausage (or bacon or pancetta) for the chickpeas. Brown the sausage in the pan with the black pepper and cook until cooked through, then follow the recipe as is.
- Parmesan and pecorino are my favorite cheeses here. Pecorino will yield a creamier, saltier sauce compared to parmesan. You could also try with any other grated melting cheese.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Pasta soaks up liquid as it sits. To reheat leftovers, add a generous splash of water to your bowl and microwave until warmed through. Stir the pasta to let the water loosen up the sauce.
- Top leftover pasta with a fried egg, cheese, and black pepper. Adding a squeeze of lemon or some lemon zest would be lovely!
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