Looking for a weeknight recipe that’s quick, reliable, and uses only ingredients from your pantry? Get ready for pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas), a crowd-pleaser of a main dish that’s made with just a few ingredients. There’s a reason we rave about it in our how-to guide to stocking your pantry: it’s very simple to make, but full of flavour. And conveniently, this recipe uses only one pot! There are literally hundreds of variations on this dish, but a great place to start is with this simple recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

If you have a kid in your house who’s responsible for meal planning once a week, this is the dish to teach them. To really bring out the flavour, be sure to top it with a dollop of olive oil, pepper and a grated cheese like Romano or Parmesan. Pair it up with these side dishes tested by our community—or, to find more one-pot recipes (like this one) and side ideas, use our recipe search tool!

• Winter Salad: Napa cabbage and radicchio with a rice vinegar and mirin-based dressing
• Super Easy Kale Salad: Kale, carrots, pine nuts and cranberries. Top with a little goat cheese to really bring out the flavours!
• Greek Salad: Cucumbers, red pepper and feta cheese. To make this a side dish for pasta e ceci, leave out the orzo (you can always add it in the next day to refresh any leftovers).

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