Orecchiette with Sausage, Chickpeas, and Mint

This recipe comes from Food and Wine. It is really different than most of the pasta meals I make but I liked it a lot. The quality and flavor of the sausage is extremely important because the sausage sets the tone of the dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound orecchiette
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound loose sweet Italian sausage
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup small mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Plain yogurt, for serving

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.

Wipe out the pot and heat the olive oil in it. Add the sausage and cook over moderate heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and nearly cooked through, 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, orecchiette and reserved cooking water and toss over moderate heat until the pasta is hot and coated in a light sauce, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve with yogurt.