Chickpea Pesto-Stuffed Mushrooms - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves (or 2 cups a mix of basil and parsley)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons water, chickpea cooking liquid
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
grated parmesan cheese (optional) or romano cheese (optional)
12 -16 fresh large mushrooms or 24 small mushrooms

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F Toast pine nuts in dry skillet until aromatic and lightly colored. Be careful not to overcook.
Combine pine nuts and chickpeas in food processor and grind. Add herbs and garlic and puree to a thick paste. Add chickpea liquid and process until blended. Add oil and process until incorporated.
Add salt and mix. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
Remove mushroom stems and reserve for another use; clean mushroom caps. Fill caps with a tablespoonful (use a teaspoon for small mushrooms) of pesto.
Place mushrooms in a baking dish. Bake until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Very large mushrooms may take longer to cook.