Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta

 

                        

Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta is easy to prepare, comes together quickly, and tastes incredibly flavorful. I love the base pasta recipe for this dish, Creamy Garlic and Mushroom Pasta Recipe, which I've made into quite a few different flavor varieties over the years.

 

This time, I added chickpeas for more protein. The chickpeas surprisingly pulled together the flavors in this dish together well by adding depth and texture. I also started using cottage cheese instead of Parmesan and adding no cream or milk. I found the dish to be creamy enough without additional cream. One time I didn't have any cheese, only cottage cheese, in the fridge. It worked great and I think it's healthier than regular cheese.

Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom, and Spinach Pasta
Inspired by my favorite Creamy Garlic and Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
·2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·1 TBS minced garlic
·5-10 mushrooms, sliced
·3 TBS butter, divided
·¼ tsp salt
·½ tsp pepper
·1½ cups homemade chicken stock
·2 cups water
·½ lb gluten free spaghetti noodles (I use Tinkyada)
·1 cup cooked chickpeas
·1 cup fresh spinach
·½ cup cottage cheese
·Up to ¼ cup skim milk, if needed
·2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add 2 TBS butter, heat until melted. Add salt, pepper, chicken stock, and water. Raise the heat to medium-high and let it come to a boil.

Once boiling, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in 1 TBS of melted butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from heat and mix in the cottage cheese until melted. If pasta needs more liquid, add up to ¼ cup skim milk. Stir in the spinach, mushrooms, chickpeas, and parsley. Stir until spinach is wilted.