CK's Kitchen: It's not just pasta, it's Banza

I'm a bit fashionably late to the Banza craze. You too? No worries, I've got you. Meet Banza, a full line of chickpea-based pastas, macaroni and cheese and rice. Banza what? The Mediterranean legume cooks up as a great alternative for those trying to eat a low-glycemic diet. High in protein and fiber, Banza has 30 percent fewer net carbs than traditional pasta. I found this recipe on the Heinen's website accidentally when I was checking to see the Sunday hours at my local store. The picture and a quick scan of the ingredients and I was sold. It was another opportunity to use my fragrant basil bush out back. I added Banza wheels and mozzarella balls to my grocery list and headed to the store with 30 minutes to spare before closing. Slim picking I buzzed around the store with my basket because I refuse to pick up my groceries in my car. I either limit what I buy or overload myself. This was an overload day. I had a bottle of wine, nuts, produce, mozzarella, the box of pasta, a pack of Truly hard seltzer and two packs of chicken breasts. Luckily I passed on the plant I wanted to buy, and I'm not very good at denying myself. There was a shortage of good looking home-grown tomatoes so I opted to stick with the pack of heirloom cherry tomatoes I had at home. Seventy dollars later, I was back in my kitchen boiling water, broiling tomatoes and sipping a watermelon kiwi Truly. This is what Sundays are all about. Vegan's delight A couple notes: One, chickpea pasta foams as it cooks so don't be alarmed. The Banza website offers some tips if this upsets you. I didn't have a problem with it. Two, I let my tomatoes broil a couple minutes longer because they didn't seem done after seven minutes. Three, I also saute my cooked pasta much longer than that time, so I would say, as always, use your intuition on doneness. I grabbed a handful of fresh basil, a perfectly ripe avocado off the counter and chopped all the remaining ingredients. I would definitely use the whole avocado next time and I wished I had more tomatoes. The vinaigrette was delicious and extra garlicky because I'm always heavy handed when it comes to garlic. I kept the mozzarella on the side so my vegan roomies could enjoy this pasta salad with me. Paired with some fresh crusty bread, this was just a lovely summer dinner. You could pair with another protein — chicken or fish but it's honestly filling on its own. The flavors are bright and seasonal and it was entirely enjoyed by all three of us. I know I'll be making this salad again very soon. You should too! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net.Banzanella pasta salad For the salad: 1 box Banza wheels 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, chopped and divided ½ red onion, finely sliced 4 oz. mozzarella balls ½ avocado ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil, finely chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided Salt and pepper, to taste For the vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 clove of garlic, finely minced 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt Place half of the cut tomatoes onto a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salty water to a boil, then add in the Banza wheels. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain but do not rinse. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saut̩é pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the drained wheels to the pan and saut̩é for 2-3 minutes until slightly crispy. Add the pasta to a large bowl with the broiled tomatoes, remaining raw tomatoes, red onion, avocado, mozzarella and fresh basil. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Mix well and serve! SOURCE: Heinens.com/recipes