A rich and flavorful glaze to turn your pasta into something extra special. With one simple ingredient you’ll enjoy the full, intense flavor of a balsamic reduction over delicious Chickapea noodles and fresh cherry tomatoes. The balance of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze adds a deep color and unmistakable flavor to this gluten-free, vegan, nut-free recipe. This recipe couldn’t be easier and is a quick way to enjoy a healthy dinner.

Tomatoes and Penne in a Balsamic Reduction

• Prep Time:  10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Course: Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian
• Servings:  4

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Chickapea Penne
• 2 Tbsp table salt (for boiling pasta)
• 1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp minced dehydrated garlic
• 1 lemon, juice of
• Basil for garnish, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small sauce pan bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium heat
2. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer to reduce for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Balsamic vinegar will be sufficiently reduced when it is a syrup like consistency or thickly coats the back of a spoon and slowly drizzles off
3. Meanwhile, prepare Chickapea penne to package specifications (heat 16 cups of water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and 2 Tbsp of salt to the water, decrease the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Stir and cook the pasta for 7 minutes)
4. Add halved tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and dehydrated garlic to a large bowl and mix well
5. Dain the pasta and rinse with cool water
6. Transfer the pasta into the large bowl and toss all ingredients gently to incorporate the noodles
7. Squeeze a lemon over the mixture
8. Drizzle in all, (or desired amount of), balsamic reduction and stir the pasta well to evenly coat the noodles
9. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• The better quality the balsamic vinegar, the better the reduction will be
• Look for a balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy or the Reggio Emilia area of Italy
• When using a good quality vinegar, avoid the temptation to quicken the reduction process by adding additional sugar
• The balsamic reduction will continue to thicken once removed from the heat
• The balsamic reduction can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a week
• This meal can be served warm or at room temperature
• This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups
• For longer term storage of balsamic reduction, the mixture will be best kept in a refrigerator