Chickpea & Feta Orzo Salad

This is one of those recipes where every flavor stands out nicely, but the dish as a whole blends well.  It's also incredibly simple. And it's perfect for summer because it won't heat up your kitchen.

It serves mainly as a side-dish, though I suppose one could make a double recipe and treat it as a main course.  Serve at room temperature, or cooled in the fridge.

Chickpea & Feta Orzo Salad

1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1.5 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP cold water
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1. Cook the pasta according to directions being sure not to overcook.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well again. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cheese, green onions, dill, and chickpeas.  Toss gently. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, water, salt, and garlic. 
4. Drizzle the sauce over the pasta mixture and toss to salt. 

Family Ratings: 

Lucy, who never met a cheese she didn't love: 10

Jamie, who's taken to picking small bits of something or other out of all of his foods, but likes chickpeas:  8

Will, who's becoming increasingly easy-going:  9

Ellen, who's no fool:  10

Paul, who's searched his whole life for a pasta salad that didn't seem forced:  10

Chickpea Pasta

On the face of it, I know, this doesn't look like much. The trick is the combination of celery, chickpeas, and parsley: the three together give this a full, hearty flavor that's very satisfying.

A few notes:

• Use Bush's chickpeas/garbanzo beans. They just taste better.
• Once the dish is served up, adults should feel free to add a pinch more of the pepper flakes.

This recipe is adapted from David Young's wonderful Seasoning: A Poet's Year.

Chickpea Pasta

1 lb bow-tie pasta (or really, any short pasta)

2 cloves garlic

1 stalk of celery

1 carrot

1 small onion

2 TB olive oil

1 can chickpeas

2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes

2 TB chopped parsley

Small pinch hot pepper flakes

salt to taste (at least 1/2 teaspoon)

pepper to taste (at least two cranks of the pepper grinder)

1. Cook pasta per instructions, draining while it's slightly al dente.
2. As pasta cooks, chop onion, garlic, celery, and carrot into very small pieces.
3. Saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in the oil for five minutes, using medium heat.
4. Drain tomatoes and add to vegetables. Simmer on low to medium heat for ten minutes or so until much--but not all--of the liquid disappears.
5. Add chickpeas, parsley, and pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or two.
6. Add salt and pepper, stir.
7. Drain pasta, add to sauce, stirring. Cook for another minute or two.
8. Remove and serve.

Family Ratings:

Will who likes most pastas: 7.5

Lucy who loves chickpeas but doesn't like cooked tomatoes: 7.5

Jamie, who used to be called "garbanzo bean" when he was still in Ellen's belly and isn't quite sure what to make of all our jokes about eating him: 8

Paul and Ellen, who add extra peppers: 10