Pasta With Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Silverbeet

Ingredients

8 ounces dried penne or rotelle

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 mediums garlic cloves, minced

2 pinch red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch saffron threads, (optional)

15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained with 1/2 cup liquid reserved

cup

1 (28 oz) can canned tomatoes, drained

1 (1 1/4 lbs )Silverbeet, stemmed and rinsed well

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preparation

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta; stir to prevent sticking. Cook pasta until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.

Add onion, garlic, pepper, thyme, rosemary, paprika and saffron if desired.

Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, 8 minutes.

Add chickpeas, reserved liquid and tomatoes to onion mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. If mixture becomes dry, add a little water to keep it moist.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan fitted with steamer basket, bring 2 inches water to a boil over high heat. Add silverbeet, cover and steam until bright green and render, about 3 minutes. Remove silverbeet and coarsely chop.

Transfer to large bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta, chickpea mixture and Parmesan. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared casserole. Drizzle with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and season with pepper. Cover with foil and bake until hot, about 20 minutes.