What's for Dinner? Orecchiette w/ Sausage, Chickpeas & Mint

I know this combination of ingredients sounds odd, but trust me, it's fantastic.

It is really best made in summer, when the mint in your garden is crazy wild (it comes back every year....it's like a weed, we never need to replant it).

I use locally made pork sausage, and I only use 2 links for most dishes, since I am not a big meat eater.
The crumbled sausage gives this dish such great flavor, don't skip it.

I am also fancy, and buy FRESH pasta from Italy, it also takes this dish to a higher level.

This dish cooks up in 10 minutes, and is a real wow dish.

I changed the ingredients to serve 4, but feel free to double it.

Orecchiette w/ Sausage, Chickpeas & Mint: (adapted from Food & Wine)

1/2 pound orecchiette (little ears pasta)
3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water
olive oil
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
handful of small mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt and pepper

In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil and saute the sausage for about 6 minutes, until no longer pink.
Add in red onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add in chickpeas. Season with salt & pepper.

Cook the orecchiette as per package instructions, and drain, but save 3/4 of the starchy cooking water.

Add the pasta with the water to the pan with the sausage and chickpeas.

Toss in the fresh mint.
Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve immediately.

LOVED.