Garlic Spinach Pasta with Chickpeas

This post is in partnership with Moms Meet. All opinions are my own.

Today I'm sharing a super easy pasta dish I make almost every week - Garlic Spinach

Pasta with Chickpeas. This meal is in my dinner rotation constantly because it's quick,

delicious and I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand.

One ingredient that I am never without is extra virgin olive oil. I make sure that my
pantry is always stocked with European extra virgin olive oil because I use it in so
many recipes! Zucchini is a premier brand of Italian olive oil that I love and use often.

Some fun facts about extra virgin olive oil:
     -olive oil comes from the fruit of the plant Olea europaea, or European olive.
     -olive oil has a high smoke point (400 degrees F), so you can use it to bake, fry or saute.
     -after testing, if the oil doesn't have the signature fruity taste and balance if won't receive
       an Extra Virgin rating.
     -extra virgin olive oil is virtually free of acidity - below 0.8%.
     -extra virgin olive oil is made without pressing heat or chemicals.
     -extra virgin olive oil represents the freshest and most pure olive oil available.
     -store oil in a cool, dark pantry away from light, which can cause decay

The Flavor Your Life campaign goal is to educate consumers about authentic extra virgin

oil olive from Europe. It is funded by the European Union, the Italian government and

European extra virgin olive oil producers to empower consumers and share recipes using

this liquid gold. 

As I mentioned earlier, I usually make this recipe once a week for dinner because it is
so quick and easy. It comes together in just 20 minutes and it's delicious!

All you need is one can of garbanzo beans, pasta, extra virgin olive oil, butter, fresh
baby spinach, red pepper flakes and grated pecorino romano cheese. The freshly grated
cheese makes this dish - so please don't try to use grated cheese from a bag!

My husband and I have been trying to eat more vegetarian meals, so we don't miss the
meat, but I'm sure it would be just as delicious with some grilled chicken added too!

You can find some of our other favorite weeknight meals here, here and here.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Garlic Spinach Pasta with Chickpeas

1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked al dente

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

5 ounce container fresh baby spinach

pinch of salt and pepper

1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus extra for topping

Bring a pot of salted water to boil to prepare the pasta. Cook according to the directions

on the box.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the extra

virgin olive oil and butter. Saute garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add in 

the spinach, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté until spinach wilts. 

Stir in the chickpeas.

Add cooked pasta and grated cheese and stir to combine. Serve immediately with 

extra red pepper flakes and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

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