Chickpea-on-Chickpea Pasta Salad

1 . Stage

Cut red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplants, and pepperoncini into bite-sized pieces. Place cut vegetables in a large bowl. Add chickpeas, goat cheese, olives, and onion.

2 . Stage

Whisk olive oil and saffron together in a small bowl. Add the reserved liquids from the peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and pepperoncini.

3 . Stage

Grind lemon balm, basil, parsley, and thyme in a mortar until coarse. Add pine nuts and grind into a chunky paste. Whisk the saffron-oil mixture until combined; pour over the vegetable-cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

4 . Stage

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fusilli, stir once, and boil until just tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil; do not rinse. Spread pasta into a single layer on a large baking sheet and let cool, at least 20 minutes.

5 . Stage

Add cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Gently toss to coat. Be careful not to stir the pasta as it might fall apart.