Crispy Chickpea Spaghetti

This looks bland and boring - I'll admit it. And capers are this weird little ingredient that you use for something once and then they sit in your fridge for a long time before you finally have a need for them again. I know this. However, I think if you try this recipe, you'll be very surprised at how good it is! We thought it looked appetizing but didn't think it would be the most exciting meal we've ever made. Needless to say, we were delightfully surprised with how much we liked this! This was also another recipe that I made for Will, which is part of why it's something so simple. You literally just cook up spaghetti noodles, drain and chop a few things and toss it all together! It's also really good as lunch leftovers and can even be eaten cold the next day.

A little off topic from the recipe, but can I just say how happy I am to be returning to regular blogging? I mean looook at some of these recipes I've been hiding from you! Turkey Burgers? Chicken Peanut Curry? Chili-Lime Chicken Tacos? And friends, there is so much more where these came from. The problem with being married to someone who loves to cook is you hardly ever repeat a recipe, so even while I'm catching up on posts, I'm falling behind! But that's good news for you because it means the recipes will just keep coming. So stay tuned, check in and enjoy all we've got in store for you!

Cooking Notes: We pretty much followed this recipe exactly as it was, which was great! There's so many things you could add (onion, carrot, etc) but the simplicity and ease of this recipe are what makes it so appealing!

Crispy Chickpea Spaghetti (adapted from Real Simple; serves 4)
3/4 lb. spaghetti
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup drained capers
1/4 olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
S&P
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice

Cook your spaghetti according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chickpeas, panko breadcrumbs, capers, olive oil, garlic and coriander. Season with S&P, then place chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast chickpea mixture for 18-22 minutes in the oven, making sure to toss once. You are looking to get them just crispy without being overbaked. Once done, toss with the drained spaghetti and sprinkle cilantro and lemon juice over top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and enjoy!