Easy Chickpea and Asparagus Pasta

I was inspired by the recipe link below and made some adjustments to that recipe. I used asparagus because it was seasonal but you could substitute almost any vegetable for this recipe. This recipe makes about 3-4 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2010/04/vegetarian-meals-slideshow#slide=8

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1 bunch of asparagus
1 tbsp of fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 jar of your favorite marinara or tomato sauce, I used newman's own organic
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2/3 cup of green olives, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz of whole wheat spaghetti, or 4 cups cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:
1. Dice 1/2 large onion into small pieces
2. Mince the two garlic cloves
3. Wash asparagus, cut off the tough bottoms of all stems. Then chop the asparagus into one inch pieces.
4. Slice 2/3 cup of green olives or buy them sliced in a can.
5. Drain and rinse chickpeas

Instructions:
1. Begin heating olive oil at medium high heat in a deep saute pan.
2. Add minced garlic and diced onion and saute at medium heat for 3-5 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add thyme, oregano, and asparagus to onions and garlic and saute for another 3-5 minutes until onion is translucent and asparagus has softened slightly.
4. Add chickpeas, olives, and marinara sauce to the asparagus and onions.
5. Add fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt.
6. Add fresh basil leaves after sauce comes to a simmer and stir.
7. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.

8. While the sauce is simmering, begin boiling 10 cups of salted water for the pasta.
9. Once water is boiling add whole wheat pasta to the pot of water. Cook until al dente (7-10 minutes of cooking time)
10. When the pasta is al dente, drain and set aside.

11. Pour sauce over pasta and serve.