Lemon Pasta with Chick peas and spinach

This is a quick, easy, healthy, last minute supper idea. Even healthier if you use whole wheat pasta. I recommend Ronzoni. The lemon sauce won't mask the whole wheat flavor of the pasta the way a spicy Puttanesca sauce will. So, you have to like whole wheat pasta to use it in this recipe. By the way, chick peas and garbanzo beans are different names for the same bean. I was out of chick peas when I made the pasta in the picture, so I substituted black eyed peas.

Lemon pasta with chick peas and spinach

INGREDIENTS
2/3 c dried chick peas

1 bay leaf

1 medium clove garlic

OR 1 can of garbanzo beans

3 crushed cloves garlic

1 ½ LB spinach (or one box, thawed and squeezed)

¼ c olive oil

2 tsp fresh minced thyme (or 2 tsp dried)

1 tsp salt

1/2 LB pasta

3 T lemon juice (fresh is better, I use bottled)

The Original instructions:

1. Soak chick peas overnight covered by 2 inches water. Cook with bay leaf and garlic clove 35-40 minutes. Can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

2. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil for pasta.

3. Stem spinach and wash. Cook in a Dutch oven or deep pot with some water until wilted .(5 minutes) Drain.

4. Heat oil. Add garlic and thyme and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add chick peas until warm. (1 minute) Add spinach and salt. Heat and mix thoroughly. (2 minutes) Taste for salt and seasoning.

5. Toss with lemon juice and pasta.

My way:

1. Cook the pasta.

2. Heat oil. Add garlic and thyme and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add chick peas until warm. (1 minute) Add spinach (squeezed and thawed from a box) and salt. Heat and mix thoroughly. (2 minutes)Taste for salt and seasoning.

3. Toss with lemon juice and pasta.