Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta and Produce
- 300 g orecchiette pasta
- 250 g broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Pantry and Flavorings
- 240 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 521 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 79 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 702 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 686 mg
- Calcium
- 106 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 114 mg
- Phosphorus
- 388 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 61 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 74 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 77 mcg
- Water
- 135 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to package instructions until just al dente, usually about 9 to 11 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the minced garlic and red pepper flakes into the onions, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook until they begin to soften and burst, releasing their juices to form the base of the sauce, about 5 minutes.
During the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets directly to the boiling pasta water.
Reserve 120ml of the starchy pasta water, then drain the orecchiette and broccoli through a colander. Add them to the skillet along with the drained chickpeas.
Toss the mixture gently over low heat, adding the lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and splashes of the reserved pasta water until a light sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Orecchiette, meaning little ears in Italian, is the perfect pasta shape for this dish as its cup-like structure acts as a scoop for the chickpeas and burst tomato juices.
- For a deeper, nuttier flavor profile, allow the drained chickpeas to toast in the skillet for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes.
- Cooking the broccoli directly in the pasta water not only saves you from washing an extra pot, but it also imparts a subtle vegetable broth flavor into the pasta itself.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Pasta and broccoli may become slightly mushy upon thawing.
Reheating: Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of water, or reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Troubleshooting
Pasta dish feels dry instead of having a light sauce
Cause: Not enough pasta water reserved or heat was too high during final tossing
Fix: Stir in a splash of warm tap water and a drizzle of olive oil, tossing vigorously
Prevention: Always reserve more pasta water than you think you need before draining
Broccoli is mushy and falling apart
Cause: Broccoli was boiled for too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Only add broccoli during the final 2 to 3 minutes of the pasta boiling time
Cultural Context
Originating from the Apulia region of Southern Italy, orecchiette is traditionally paired with robust vegetables like bitter broccoli rabe. This modern, quick weeknight adaptation swaps the bitter greens for standard broccoli and adds chickpeas to create a protein-rich, satisfying meal using common pantry staples.
