Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Warm and inviting this chickpea and pasta soup has its origins in an ancient Roman dish, La Minestra di Orazio, or Horace's Chickpea and Pasta Soup. In one of his satires, Horace is quoted as saying, "I'm going home to a bowl of leeks, chickpeas and lasagna ...." In fact this is one of the earliest references to pasta of any kind.

This adapted version uses canned chickpeas and acini pepe pasta. Acini pepe, also called pastina, is Italian for peppercorns and they look like tiny beads. Any small pasta such as orzo can be used. Or, just break up any type of pasta you have on hand into small pieces.

Helpful Hints:

- Minced garlic in a jar can be found in the produce section of the supermarket.

- Any type of sliced bread can be used for the Herbed Bread.

- When using dried spices, make sure the bottle is less than 6 months old.

- Sliced celery and leek together in a food processor.

- Quick way to chop parsley is to snip the leaves from the stems with a scissors.

Countdown:

- Start soup.

- While soup cooks, make Herbed Bread

This meal contains 580 calories per serving with 24 percent of calories from fat.

HORACE'S CHICKPEA SOUP

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided use

1 cup sliced celery

1 medium-size leek, white only, sliced (about 1 cup)

3 cups drained canned diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups rinsed and drained canned chickpeas

1 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup acini pepe or orzo pasta

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the celery and leek. Saute 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute. Add the chickpeas, chicken broth, water and acini pepe. Bring to a slow boil and cook 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve in large soup bowls and sprinkle the parsley and Parmesan cheese on top. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 486 calories (23 percent from fat), 12.4 g fat (2.3 g saturated, 5.6 g monounsaturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 22.3 g protein, 75.1 g carbohydrates, 10.3 g fiber, 588 mg sodium.

HERBED BREAD

2 slices whole grain bread

Olive oil spray

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat broiler or toaster oven. Spray bread with olive oil spray. Spread garlic over bread and sprinkle oregano on top. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until bread is crisp and golden. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 94 calories (30 percent from fat), 3.1 g fat (0.7 g saturated, 2.0 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 3.8 g protein, 13.0 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 136 mg sodium.

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the ingredients you'll need for tonight's Dinner in Minutes.

To buy: 1 bunch celery, 1 medium-size leek, 1 bunch parsley, 1 large can (at least 27 ounces) diced tomatoes. 1 can chickpeas, 1 can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, 1 bottle olive oil spray, 1 box acini pepe or orzo pasta, 1 jar minced garlic, 1 piece Parmesan cheese and 1 bottle dried oregano.

Staples: Olive oil, whole grain bread, salt and black peppercorns.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of 14 cookbooks including her newest, "Mix 'n Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes," and "Prevention's Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes." Visit Linda on her web page at www.DinnerInMinutes.com or email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)

Tags: Celery, Chickpea Soup, Chickpeas, Food Processor, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Italian Soup, Lasagna, Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Orazio, Pasta Soup, Pepe Pasta, Peppercorns, Salt And Pepper, Satires, Slow Boil, Sodium Chicken Broth, Soup Bowls, Soup Cooks, Tiny Beads, Type Of Pasta