Mustard Green Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas & Crispy Panko Breadcrumbs

I originally had something completely different planned for these ingredients, but once I pulled the mustard greens out of the refrigerator, I immediately knew they needed to be pesto-ed. Not sure if pesto is really a verb or not, but it should be! While I love a traditional basil pesto, it’s so much fun making it out of other greens, and also usually a lot cheaper if you don’t grown your own basil.

This mustard green pesto does not disappoint one bit. It’s spicy and tangy, but also rich and creamy, just as a pesto should be. To make this pasta extra special, I topped it off with some panko and baked it in the oven for a few minutes. It gives the pasta a nice crunchy topping that will make you wonder why don’t top all your pastas with panko.

Another great thing about this pasta is that it comes together in just 30 minutes! I’m a huge believer in quick and easy dinner recipes and you will definitely want to add this one to your weekly meal plan 🙂

Pastas are great for 30 minute meals, but I also like to have some protein in my dinners so I added in some chickpeas that give this meal a nice bite, as well as make it much more hearty and filling.