Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

This recipe piqued my interest so much and I had been wanting to try it. I was a little disappointed yet surprised. I think next time, I will add less chickpeas and add chicken or something. The flavor of the sauce was soooo good and I am not a mint fan, but the texture of the chickpeas was a little off with the pasta. Also, I might try a pasta other than rigatoni because it wasn't very filling. Anyways, those are my suggestions, but I originally found the recipe here. Enjoy!

The idea for this dish started with a Greek whipped feta recipe we discovered. The feta is creamed with olive oil and lemon juice, and typically used as a dip or appetizer. Here we use whipped feta as the "sauce" for a pasta with spiced chickpeas. The flavors are distinctly Mediterranean, but unusual at the same time.

Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas

3 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb dried rigatoni pasta
sea salt and black pepper

Whipped Feta


1/2 lb feta, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper

Procedure

1. Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, mint, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at least one hour at room temperature.
2. Make Whipped Feta by combining all the ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil. Top with spiced chickpeas, then a big dollop of whipped feta. Eat while pasta is still hot.