- Jennifer Garner debuted “Naptime Cook Club” with a quick pasta e ceci recipe.
- The chickpea-based dish is rich in fiber, protein and heart-healthy ingredients.
- The flexible recipe works for busy families and even busier weeknights.
We’ve long been fans of Jennifer Garner’s #PretendCookingShow, a series of Instagram reels where the actor shares recipes like Cowboy Cookies and easy cheesy egg bites. Recently, the mom and Once Upon a Farm co-founder debuted a new episode to her social media-based cooking show, and the debut recipe is one we cannot wait to try.
“Welcome to my Pretend Cooking Show,” Garner says in the reel. “This is Naptime Cook Club… When my kids were little, my dream was to have dinner made during part of their nap and have a little bit of nap time left.” This quick dinner is a staple for Garner when she needs something whipped up quickly.
The meal Garner selected for her Naptime Cook Club comes from food blogger Smitten Kitchen. Pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) is a popular Italian dish made from chicken, chickpeas and short pasta, and Garner describes her go-to recipe for the meal as “gourmet Spaghetti-Os” that are “oh-so delicious.”
The ingredients list for Garner’s favorite pasta e ceci recipe is simple. You’ll just need olive oil, some chicken, garlic, tomato paste, chickpeas and ditalini pasta, or another small shape. If you have water, salt and pepper on hand, you’re all set.
“We’re gonna start by poaching some chicken,” Garner explains. “While the water is still room temperature, we’re adding these chicken breasts. There’s nothing to this.”
While the chicken poaches, Garner heats the olive oil in a saucepan until it shimmers, then adds the garlic cloves and cooks them until they become browned and fragrant. Next, she stirs the tomato paste, salt and pepper into the garlic mixture, and lets the whole thing brown for around 30 seconds or so.
To the same pot, she adds the chickpeas, pasta and boiling water, then gives everything a stir and allows it to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until a lot of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked. Garner “doctors up” her pasta e ceci with some shredded, poached chicken breast and steamed broccoli, but the original Smitten Kitchen recipe also includes a recipe for an herbaceous finishing oil you can make and drizzle on top.
“Steam this broccoli, dinner is done,” Garner says as she puts the finishing touches on her dish. Garner also says the dish is great for baby-led weaning, since the bean and pasta mixture can be smashed up with a fork and served to baby on their high chair tray.
Garner certainly had our attention at a quick-and-easy meal that tastes like gourmet Spaghetti-Os, but we also love how healthy this pasta dish’s ingredients are. Chickpeas offer up fiber and potassium, and we’re always big fans of adding cost-effective beans to our dinner plans for the week. Add in some chicken for extra protein and a side of steamed broccoli, and we’re sold on this delicious anJennifer Garner’s Go-To 20-Minute Pasta Is So Cozyd healthy dinner—even if we aren’t in a naptime time crunch.
