Southwestern Pesto Pasta with Crispy Chickpeas

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Pat your rinsed chickpeas with a dish towel until dry.  Place on a medium sized baking sheet and toss with olive oil, paprika, salt and nutritional yeast.  Bake chickpeas until crispy, 10-15 mins.

Step 2

Add all Cilantro Lime Pesto ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Step 3

Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling.  Add pasta to the water, stir and cook pasta for 5-9 minutes, or until desired texture is reached, stirring occasionally.  Drain pasta and add back to the pot or to a large bowl.

Step 4

Add the tomatoes, corn and onion to the pasta and then pour the pesto over the top.  Mix until everything is combined.

Step 5

You can either stir in the chickpeas and diced avocado or add them on top of each individual bowl of pasta.  Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.  Add salt and pepper to taste.