Serve as a main meal or a side dish, either way, you'll get a delicious blend of chickpeas and veggies, loaded with protein & fibre! A great collaboration with Erin of @alittlesaltblog.
2cups(500 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed (see notes)
8cups(2 L) kale, stems removed & roughly chopped
1/4tsp(1 mL) red pepper flakes
Creamy Basil Dressing
1cup(250 mL) fresh basil leaves
1/4cup(60 mL) shredded Parmesan cheese
1clovegarlic, minced
2Tbsp(30 mL) fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
1Tbsp(15 mL) olive oil
1/2cup(125 mL) low-fat, plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Brush canola oil over cut side of each half. Season with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the flesh is softened.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and fry until mostly cooked through, but not crispy. Add chickpeas to skillet, toss to coat with remaining bacon fat, and allow to cook without stirring, checking every few minutes to make sure they aren’t burning.
Add kale to skillet, tossing to incorporate with bacon and chickpeas. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, until the kale is bright green and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make the Creamy Basil Dressing, combine basil, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice in a high-powered blender, pulsing until mixture is finely chopped. Scrape down sides of blender. Then, with blender running, very slowly stream the olive oil into the mixture. Scrape down blender once more, add yogurt and pulse one or twice until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scrape out the flesh of the spaghetti squash with two forks. The flesh should look like strings. Add spaghetti squash to skillet and toss to combine.
To serve, drizzle with Creamy Basil Dressing and another sprinkle of Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
A 19 oz (540 mL) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, yields 2 cups (500 mL) cooked chickpeas. To cook your own, check out our website for more info!
2cups(500 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed (see notes)
8cups(2 L) kale, stems removed & roughly chopped
1/4tsp(1 mL) red pepper flakes
Creamy Basil Dressing
1cup(250 mL) fresh basil leaves
1/4cup(60 mL) shredded Parmesan cheese
1clovegarlic, minced
2Tbsp(30 mL) fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
1Tbsp(15 mL) olive oil
1/2cup(125 mL) low-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Brush canola oil over cut side of each half. Season with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the flesh is softened.
3
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and fry until mostly cooked through, but not crispy. Add chickpeas to skillet, toss to coat with remaining bacon fat, and allow to cook without stirring, checking every few minutes to make sure they aren’t burning.
4
Add kale to skillet, tossing to incorporate with bacon and chickpeas. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, until the kale is bright green and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5
To make the Creamy Basil Dressing, combine basil, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice in a high-powered blender, pulsing until mixture is finely chopped. Scrape down sides of blender. Then, with blender running, very slowly stream the olive oil into the mixture. Scrape down blender once more, add yogurt and pulse one or twice until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6
Scrape out the flesh of the spaghetti squash with two forks. The flesh should look like strings. Add spaghetti squash to skillet and toss to combine.
7
To serve, drizzle with Creamy Basil Dressing and another sprinkle of Parmesan, if desired.
