What To Do With Chickpeas? Roasted Chickpeas With Parmesan And Basil

I love chickpeas. You can add chickpeas to soups or salads, make hummus from them, stir them into pasta sauces or eat them simply drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. You can also mash them and spread them onto a crostini with some herbs. Whether you buy chickpeas in a can or cook them from scratch, they are an incredibly versatile food to have on hand.

This past weekend I cooked a large pot of chickpeas (simply cover dry chickpeas with enough water, season with salt, bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer covered for about 2 hours) and decided to roast some of them. The end result isn't as crunchy as the prepared snacks you'd find at your grocery store, but I still loved them. Adding a bit of Parmesan cheese at the end really made these chickpeas special.

What To Do With Chickpeas? Roasted Chickpeas With Parmesan And Basil
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chickpeas, dried on a paper towel
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil
2-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
chiffonade of 3 fresh basil leaves

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 with a large cookie sheet inside.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients other than grated Parmesan and fresh basil.
3. Once the oven is preheated, pour the seasoned chickpeas in a single layer onto the cookie sheet that was inside the oven. You'll hear a great sizzle sound.
4. Roast the chickpeas for 25 minutes occasionally shaking the pan.
5. Top the chickpeas with grated Parmesan and continue to roast for 3 more minutes.
6. Serve drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh basil.

 
It's best if you eat these roasted chickpeas immediately. They are great as a snack or added to a salad.

What's your favorite way to eat chickpeas?