To me, the color of summer is green. I need to add more green into my diet. We all do. There are so many delicious herbs and vegetables to toss into any pasta and it is always best to use what is in season to get optimal freshness.

Loaded with so much protein and fiber, I decided to try using chickpea pasta. I am so happy I did! I was hesitant because after trying several other pastas and having ended up with mush I thought maybe I’d have the same result. Nope. This pasta stayed firm and was a complete winner! I can’t believe how much protein is in chickpea pasta and love that it has a low glycemic index. It has no strange flavors and if I hadn’t known any better I’d have thought this was the same wheat durum pasta I’d known all my life.  I actually feel good about feeding this pasta to my family.

Ok, so here is how I made this delicious dish.  This recipe serves 5, maybe 6.

16 oz. dried chickpea pasta

2 cups fresh green beans, cut into halves

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1/2 avocado

2 large bunches of fresh basil

5 garlic cloves

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.

In a separate pan boil water, add green beans and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for another 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small food processor, or NutriBullet as I use, blend together the avocado, basil, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt. You could even add a dash of pepper, though I didn’t. If you want this a bit creamier add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water and blend again.

Drain the pasta once cooked as instructed and rinse with cold water right away. Add the vegetables and the sauce and stir carefully to mix evenly. Eat up.