Who doesn’t love falafel?! Then again, some of you may be wondering, what is Falafel? Traditionally, falafel is a deep fried ball that is, usually, made with garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) and spices. Falafel balls are often stuffed in hollowed out pita bread or eaten a side dish then drizzled with tahini. It is a vegetarian food that originated in the Middle East as an Israeli street food. Living in Philadelphia, I noticed we have adopted the Israeli street food, which is becoming popular and make falafel platters and sandwiches on food carts and restaurants.

My version is a deconstructed version of a falafel ball sandwich. In this instance, deconstructed means instead of combining the ingredients to make falafel then form into a ball, I left them in their form (no blender required!) and plated them together in a different way! The pasta acts as the pita bread, or the starch. By the way, I had a non-vegetarian and a 5 year old taste test this meal and I passed! Above amazing your taste buds, this meal is loaded with protein and fiber. Enjoy!

This recipe will pair perfectly with my Cool Cucumber-Mint salad or my Cucumber Lime-Dill Salad!

Tip: Try to reserve some sauce if you plan to reheat your left overs because it can be a bit dry the next day. Or simply drizzle olive oil over the pasta once reheated.

Tip2: Speaking of leftovers, this makes a great, cold side salad the next day for lunch!

Ingredients

1 package long pasta (I used quinoa pasta)

½ tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp dill

1 small handful cilantro

1 small handful parsley

2 cups spinach

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup almond milk (or just use vegetable broth)

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp cumin

2-3 tbsp tahini

1 can garbanzo beans

Instructions

Cook the long pasta according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large pan add the olive oil and garlic on medium heat. After about 5 minutes, the garlic should be a little brown. Now add the dill, cilantro, parsley and spinach. Sauté the ingredients for a minute then add the vegetable broth and almond milk, if using. Now add the lemon juice, cumin and tahini. After about 5-10 minutes the spinach should be wilted. Now on low heat, add the beans and cover for about 15 minutes. Finally, add the pasta and serve.

****Photo taken by my talented, photographer cousin Monique Direnzo.*****