Chickpea-on-Chickpea Pasta Salad Recipe

Cut red peppers sun-dried tomatoes eggplants and pepperoncini into bite-sized pieces. Place cut vegetables in a large bowl. Add chickpeas goat cheese olives and onion.

Whisk olive oil and saffron together in a small bowl. Add the reserved liquids from the peppers tomatoes eggplant and pepperoncini.

Grind lemon balm basil parsley and thyme in a mortar until coarse. Add pine nuts and grind into a chunky paste. Whisk the saffron-oil mixture until combined; pour over the vegetable-cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fusilli stir once and boil until just tender yet firm to the bite 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil; do not rinse. Spread pasta into a single layer on a large baking sheet and let cool at least 20 minutes.

Add cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Gently toss to coat. Be careful not to stir the pasta as it might fall apart.