Chickpea Broccoli Alfredo Recipe

Day 354.

I realized recently that I’ve somehow neglected to make a simple Chicken Broccoli Alfredo this year. Our recent need for super simple foods made a chickpea version a great choice for today. In addition to swapping out the chicken for chickpeas, I used cream cheese instead of Parmesan and whole milk instead of cream. These decisions were primarily made due to what I had on-hand in the refrigerator. This is not a traditional thick alfredo sauce, but more of a thin coating, perfect for our sniffle-heads.

Chickpea Broccoli Alfredo
Adapted from Chicken Broccoli Alfredo.
Ingredients for 8 servings

• 1 pound macaroni or other pasta noodles
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon House seasoning
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Directions  
Cook pasta according to package directions adding broccoli last 5 minutes, drain. Set aside. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, milk (reserving a bit for slurry), garlic powder, and pepper. 

Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cream cheese and stir until melted.  Add a bit of milk to cornstarch to create a slurry. Add slurry to sauce.

Add basil and chickpeas to Alfredo sauce and heat through. Serve over hot, cooked pasta and broccoli.

The Results
This is good, but pretty bland. I thought about adding about 1/4 cup sauteed red onion and decided against it since we all have the sickies. If I make it again, I’d add the onion and maybe a dash of red pepper flakes to the adult portions. The kids and I all enjoyed this as is today with our sniffles and sore throats.

This post is shared at·Tuesdays at the Table, Tuesday Night Supper Club,·Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,·Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,··Real Food Wednesday, Hearth and Soul, Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.