Chickpea & Orzo Pasta Salad

This is a spin-off from my Mom's Chickpea & Tuna Salad. I expanded on the recipe by adding orzo, lemon, Parmesan cheese, and toasted almonds to make a light and summery pasta salad. It has delicious textures and flavors. There's a bit of smokiness and crunch from the toasted almonds, some pungency from the onion and garlic, a kind of saltiness from the tuna and Parmesan, and a hint of tartness from the lemon dressing that makes this wonderfully satisfying. I would of loved black olives thrown in, but my cupboard was bare, same goes for fresh basil. My garden herbs are still wee little babies. This is light and healthy, as well as quick and easy. I'm sending this to sweet and lovely Joanne of Eats Well With Others, the host of this week's Presto Pasta Nights(follow the link to check out the details!).






In other news - I tried Popchips! I have been seeing these all over the blogosphere. Chips that are neither baked or fried, but popped, like popcorn. It makes for a healthier chip, thicker than a traditional one, and delicious. I've been looking in every market I go into and finally scored some BBQ ones. It was a nice treat. I don't indulge in chips very often. The thing I loved most was the ingredient list. It was short and I knew what everything on it was. These only have 4 grams of fat per serving - pretty low compared to regular chips. I would love to try some of the other flavors, I hope they get more.






Chickpea & Orzo Pasta Salad
(by Reeni)

1 and 1/3 cup of uncooked orzo
1 can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 cans solid white albacore tuna, drained
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup Parmesan, fresh grated, plus more for serving
1/3 cup Basil leaves, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the orzo to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Toast the almonds in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat until they turn golden. Add to a large bowl with the orzo, chickpeas, tuna, red onion, parmesan and basil. In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Serve over salad greens or as a side.

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