Drew Barrymore's Favorite Pantry Staple Is Perfect for Quick and Healthy Meals

If the last time you thought about Drew Barrymore was related to her breakout role in ET or perhaps her thriller streak with Scream, let us bring you up to speed: The actress/producer/director is now a mom of two, beauty entrepreneur, daytime talk show host and avid cookbook collector.

So in light of that last point, Barrymore announced on February 3 that she's launching #DrewsCookbookClub. As part of the club, she selects one recipe from one of her beloved cookbooks, shares the how-to online and asks her viewers to cook along with her in their own kitchens.

First up was Amatriciana Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper from chef Marcella Hazan's 1992 cookbook Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking ($26.29, Amazon.com). The classic Italian entree features pancetta, canned Italian plum tomatoes, plenty of cheese, a few other flavor-boosters and a pound of noodles (Hazan prefers bucatini).

Soon after tackling that cozy pasta recipe along with her fans, Barrymore took to the kitchen to share her go-to pasta party recipe with her pal, comedian Ross Matthews. The dish is built around her most beloved pantry staple of the moment that, like its flour-based cousin, cooks up in about 10 minutes: Banza chickpea pasta ($2.99 for 8 ounces, Target.com).

Related: Drew Barrymore Really Wants Pizza but Fans Encourage Her to Stick to Her Diet and Exercise Plan

"My number one food on planet earth, without a doubt, is pasta," Barrymore said in a segment that aired this week on The Drew Barrymore Show. As she grabs boxes of the chickpea-based noodles, she continues, "I should be their spokesperson...I looove the chickpea."

Especially when she mixes it with her homemade pesto sauce to concoct a dish that Barrymore says, "is basically like foodie mac and cheese."

To make it, into a bowl of a food processor, toss 4 bunches of basil, ¼ cup of pine nuts, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for a vegan option) and add a splash of olive oil. Turn on the food processor, then slowly stream in enough olive oil as the pesto emulsifies to get the blend into a saucy consistency.

Then toss the sauce with some cooked Banza, "I happen to love a fusilli since it holds all the sauce, especially with something like a pesto," Barrymore says.

After both Matthews and Barrymore took a bite of—and raved about—the completed dish, Barrymore says, "It's just an amazing way to indulge and eat the food that is delicious and doesn't taste like diet food."

We agree. In fact, Team EatingWell loves this concept so much we developed a similar recipe with our Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto. Way to use your noodle, Drew!