Cheesy Orzo with Chickpeas and Greens
Servings 6 People
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 :)
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep 1 bunch leafy greens
- Grate 1 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.
Notes
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!