Marry Me Chickpeas

Drescription

We put a vegetarian spin on Marry Me Chicken, a dish typically consisting of chicken coated in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce, by swapping in fiber-packed chickpeas as the main ingredient. From the creamy chickpeas to the umami-laden sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll want to sop up every last bit of sauce. To riff on this recipe, you could swap the chickpeas for white beans, like cannellini or navy.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomato jar
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2/3 cup drained julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil with herbs, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15-oz.) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably hungarian sweet
• 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
• 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ounces crusty whole-wheat baguette, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 chopped shallot; cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes and 3 cloves garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes are slightly broken down and deep red in color, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in 2 cans chickpeas, 1 cup broth, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are warmed through and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cream and 1 tablespoon basil; cook until the sauce starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan until melted and combined, 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Brush 2 teaspoons melted butter on cut side of bread pieces. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange bread buttered-side down in the pan; cook until golden brown and crisp on the edges.
4. Top the chickpea mixture with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1 tablespoon basil and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Serve with the toasted bread.