Creole Chickpeas with Pasta

Name: Creole Chickpeas with Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Creole
Ingredients: 12 ounces corkscrews or wagon wheel pasta; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper; 1/4 cup chopped scallion; 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic; 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped with juices reserved; 1 to 2 cups chicken broth; 1 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed; 1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 whole bay leaf; 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, for garnish; Salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe GLPRe027a04c27c381

Creole

Main Course

15 min

295 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A vibrant, family-friendly Creole-inspired dish served two ways: one mild portion with sweet corn for the kids, and a spiced version with chickpeas and cayenne for the adults. Tender pasta is topped with your choice of sauce, finished with fresh parsley.

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Ingredients

12 ounces corkscrews or wagon wheel pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped with juices reserved

1 to 2 cups chicken broth

1 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 whole bay leaf

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and scallion, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the canned tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth (starting with 1 cup). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the thawed corn. Reserve about 2 to 3 cups of this mild sauce in a separate warm bowl for younger eaters, or transfer to another saucepan to keep warm on low heat.
To the remaining sauce in the original pan, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, dried thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Simmer until the pasta finishes cooking, 5 to 8 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, add more broth by the quarter-cup as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the bay leaf from the spiced chickpea sauce before serving.
Divide the cooked pasta between serving bowls. Top half the portions with the mild corn and tomato sauce, and the other half with the spicy chickpea mixture. Garnish with fresh minced parsley and serve hot.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This is a legitimate weeknight dinner that hits most marks for Charlotte cooks. All ingredients are stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart—no special trips needed. The real prep time is closer to 25 minutes when you account for dicing onion, pepper, and garlic, and waiting for the pasta water to boil; the stated 15 minutes assumes everything is ready to go. At roughly $1.25 per serving, it's affordable and stretches well with pantry staples: canned tomatoes and chickpeas do the heavy lifting. The dish reheats cleanly and feeds a family of six without fussing, though Creole seasoning (thyme, cayenne, bay) reads more Gulf Coast than Piedmont North Carolina, so it won't feel local. A solid, honest recipe that delivers what it promises once you adjust the clock.