I feel pretty masterful in the kitchen with minimal time. A well-stocked pantry and a few essentials always available in your fridge and you can do it too. Trust me. This Creamy Sundried Tomato, Kale & Chickpeas comes together so quick, you’ll wonder why you ever ordered food to be delivered in the first place.
You’ve heard of the “Marry Me” trend in recipes, right? Call me crazy, but I like to think I had something to do with it. I self-published a cookbook in 2017 with a recipe called Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken in Cream Sauce…and soon after that, everything with a sundried tomato cream sauce was called “Marry Me” something. Marry Me Chicken, Marry Me Cabbage Steaks, Marry Me Steak…you get the picture. I’m happy that everyone loves it as much as me. And it’s definitely my husband’s favorite meal.
I too, use my method for making this cream sauce for other dishes, and this was one that I made at home for dinner and then again the next day for lunch because my husband took all the leftovers. Actually, the version for dinner had chicken and chickpeas. When I’m cooking just for myself, I tend to lean more plant-based. But this mama is raising teenagers and plant-based proteins do not fill them up, so adding in that chicken is necessary.
So, this leads me into variations of this meal:
- Add other proteins with this. You could add diced and sautéed chicken or rotisserie chicken to add more protein and bulk it up for more people.
- Sub out the kale for baby spinach for the same color, but slightly more tender greens choice.
- Add walnuts or pine nuts for a good crunch.
I chose orzo pasta, but you could choose rice, quinoa, or farro for more fiber.
However you choose to make it, just make it and let me know how you like it in the comments.
PrintCreamy Sundried Tomatoes, Kale & Chickpeas
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 cup orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon oil from the sundried tomatoes
1 Spanish onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
4 packed cups of chopped kale
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup 2% milk
1, 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional: extra EVOO and dried parsley for the orzo
Instructions
Cook the orzo according to the package directions. If you are feeling fancy, toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley when it’s done cooking (this can also keep it from sticking together).
In a medium saucepan, add the two oils and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes or until they are translucent and starting to get golden. Add garlic and kale and saute until kale is wilted down – about 4 more minutes.
Add salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper and stir in the heavy cream and milk. Add the chickpeas and sundried tomatoes. Let this come to a simmer to start thickening up. Simmer for 5 minutes. the sauce will turn from white to a dark cream as it starts to meld with the other ingredients.
Toss with the parmesan cheese.
Divide the orzo into 4 portions and top with the chickpea mixture. Add additional parm and dried parsley if you have it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20