I’ve been inundating you with desserts lately – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but when I looked in my queue, there are several more desserts to come, so I though I should toss in a quick and healthy dinner.

This dish is a breeze, and it’s kid-friendly (although it’s not very photogenic.) The smaller you chop the veggies, the faster it will cook up, and the more your children will accidentally ingest. Amounts and types of veggies are flexible.

Chicken Chickpea Pasta

olive oil for sauteing
1 small onion, finely dice
5 whole carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 chicken breasts, large dice
salt and pepper
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
juice from one lemon
1 lb cooked pasta – reserve a bit of cooking liquid
cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
grated parmigiano reggiano for serving

1) Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook your pasta (I like a short pasta in this dish.) Sauté onion and carrots until just beginning to soften. Add in chicken, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is done.

2) Stir in chickpeas, spinach, and lemon juice – cook until chickpeas are warmed and spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in warm pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add in some reserved pasta liquid if dish is too dry. Serve with parmigiano reggiano.