Fajita Pasta with Verde Cream Sauce and Roasted Chickpeas

I saw a similar recipe to this on Pinterest and was inspired to give it a try with my own spin. I loved the idea of combining pasta with fajita veggies. And it worked! My husband, especially, loved it.  He added a ton of hot sauce to his bowl! My son did, too.

This dish would taste scrumptious with thinly sliced, marinated flank steak or marinated chicken. You can add this in addition to the roasted chickpeas or sub them out. Enjoy!

Pasta & Fajita Veggies:
8 oz of penne pasta AND
8 oz of spiral pasta (this mixing is just for fun! If you want to use only one type of pasta, that's fine, too. Use 16 oz of one type)

2 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 whole large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 whole large green pepper, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional (use more if you like it spicy)

Parmesan, if you like

Simple Verde Sauce:
3/4 cup verde salsa (my favorite brand is Herdez)
1/2 cup sour cream

Roasted Chickpeas:
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika

**If you would like to add protein to this meal, shredded chicken or flank steak would taste great!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top to prevent sticking - toss and set aside.

To roast chickpeas:
Rinse and drain canned chickpeas. Spread onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle on olive oil and add salt and spices. Toss to coat. Smooth seasoned chickpeas into an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake on 400F for 20 minutes. Stir when you take them out of the oven. Set aside.

Simple Verde Sauce:
Add verde salsa and sour cream to a small saucepan. Heat over medium low until heated through. Set aside until ready.  If this doesn't seem like enough sauce to you, add more of each ingredient until you deem it enough. Can't go wrong......

To cook the veggies, put 2 Tbl of olive oil in a large pan. Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, if using, and saute for another 5-7 minutes until everything is cooked to your desired crispness.

Combine pasta and sauce, toss to coat.  Place saucy noodles in a bowl and top with pepper mix and roasted chickpeas (and meat, if using) and Parmesan, if you like. Enjoy!!