Hoagie-inspired pasta salad with chickpeas

Hoagie-inspired pasta salad with Primary Beans chickpeas

This pasta salad was inspired by our favorite Italian hoagie fix-ins – pepperoncini, salami, cheese, tomato, and fresh herbs. To add an extra oomph of texture and nutrition, tender chickpeas provide a perfect contrast to the chewy pasta and marinate in the zesty, briny dressing as you prepare everything else. Be prepared to win "favorite dish" at your next summer potluck!

Featured bean: Chickpea

Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!

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Hoagie-inspired pasta salad with Primary Beans chickpeas

Ingredients

Salad

10 oz orecchiette pasta
2 cups cooked chickpeas (about ⅓ lb dried), strained and cooled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup chopped Castelvetrano olives, pits removed (don’t buy pitted)
½ cup chopped pepperoncini + a little of their juice
2 oz Genoa salami, cut into thin slices and then strips
8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls, strained and halved
2 oz provolone or fontina cheese, shaved or cut into small cubes
Handful basil leaves, torn
Handful fresh oregano leaves

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
3 tbsp red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 tsp dried oregano, plus more to taste
1 large garlic clove, minced
¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Steps

Make the dressing: Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and allow to sit so flavors can blend. Add a dash of pepperoncini juice. Add more vinegar, dried oregano, pepperoncini juice, or salt as needed – the dressing should be zesty, salty, and briny.

Marinate the beans: Add chickpeas to a large bowl and top with dressing. Stir to coat and allow to sit while you cook the pasta and prepare the ingredients.

Cook the pasta: Cook pasta until al dente. Strain and run cold water over it to cool. Place in the bowl with the chickpeas and toss to combine.

Assemble: Add remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine (reserving herbs for serving). Add more olive oil or any of the dressing ingredients as desired. Enjoy at room temperature or cold, stirring in fresh herbs just before serving.

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Great beans, but soo many rocks

My partner and I love using these beans as the base for big batches of breakfast burritos. They stand up really well to being cooked, frozen, and reheated. Unfortunately, we find rocks in these beans more often than any other variety or vendor we’ve ever tried. I visually inspect, run my hands through, and rinse in a colander, but some always make it through. I can’t move the beans one by one into the pot before cooking to stave off the fear of cracked teeth, so we’re going to go with different beans/vendors in the future.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback with us. We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience with our Flor de Mayo beans—it’s not the kind of impression we want to leave. These beans are harvested with care and hand-sorted to remove any agricultural debris, so we regret that a few sneaky rocks made their way through. While we strive for perfection, we always recommend giving your beans a quick once-over before cooking to catch anything we might have missed. We’d love the opportunity to make this right and send you a replacement bag. Just send us a quick note at hello@primarybeans.com. Thanks again!

Southwest gold beans are creamy and delicious

These beans really do deliver - so creamy and full of flavor.

No Pressure Cooker Necessary

I soaked the beans in cold water for a day, and then put them in a double boiler to cook all evening over a small flame on the stovetop. They cooked up just fine. A double boiler is much cheaper and easier to use than a pressure cooker!

Good but not my favorite

I made red beans and rice with the Flor de Mayo beans. It was tasty, but what I don’t like is the thicker skins on these beans. I think I’m leaning toward some of the more delicate varieties. I love these beans however, and highly recommend then to my friends

Beans 'n' Rice 5 star, but couldn't get it to work....

The other day I cooked up a pot of Alubia beans and long grain brown rice together. I added the salt and pepper along with some chopped onions and chopped garlic and cooked for about 45 minutes. A taste test of the broth let me know that I needed a bit more salt and a can of Hatch diced green chilis. Cooking another 25 minutes and adding hot water as needed and perfecto. The left overs have been served as is and as the filling for enchiladas and burritos. Super yum!

Flor de Mayo Sourced Again

I tried Flor de Mayo beans about 10 years ago and loved them. However they suddenly disappeared from midwestern U.S. markets. I never gave up searching because the taste was fabulous. So glad to have discovered Primary Beans as a source.

I haven’t cooked those yet but

I did cook the Southwest Gold. My sister and daughter really liked them. I don’t like beans but I was able to eat these so they must be really good. Hopefully I will acquire a taste for beans since they are so healthy. Going to order again