MBP: Pasta with Chickpeas and Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

This is my MBP: Less is More entry...my version of Nupur's version of Sheela's Sun-Dried Tomato Spread.

1 box whole wheat pasta

1 can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

10-12 cloves garlic, unpeeled

pinch sugar (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions. If necessary, use pasta water to rehydrate tomatoes -- the brand that I used was very soft right out of the package. Drain canned tomatoes and put into a food processor with rehydrated dried tomatoes, then blend to a smooth paste. Place garlic cloves (unpeeled) into a dry skillet (do not add oil) and heat over medium heat. Cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until garlic cloves are soft. (Thanks to Lisa for this post on pan-roasting garlic!) Once cloves are cool enough to handle, peel and add to food processor. Blend until smooth. Add salt, pepper, and optional sugar to taste: I find that a little sugar counteracts the slightly bitter/sour flavor that canned tomatoes have. Toss sauce with chickpeas and pasta and serve hot.

The sauce would also be good layered with pureed white beans as a dip. (Maybe add a thin layer of basil pesto as well...mmm...)

I'm a little embarrassed that this recipe doesn't contain any fresh ingredients, but happy that I can make good food out of my pantry! I had just cleaned out my fridge and thrown out a bunch of veggies that I'd bought and hadn't had time to cook, and when I went to the grocery store I figured I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. So -- go figure -- we got out of work early today. Not that I'm complaining :)

Thanks to Nupur and Coffee for hosting, and to Sheela for the original recipe!