Chickpea Pasta Recipe

When you have busy weeknights that call for something quick and easy, give this chickpea pasta recipe a try. It’s as simple as can be, but tastes undeniably good, with chickpeas, spaghetti, and spinach all smothered in a luscious cream sauce. 

Everything comes together in just 20 minutes, and even better, using only pantry staples. You’ll have no trouble cooking up a dish or two for a fuss-free family meal.

Why You Should Try Chickpea Pasta

• Simple Ingredients

Everything this dish requires can be found right in your pantry. You should have no trouble assembling the ingredients and throwing together a quick dish for your dinner night.

• Budget-friendly 

Chickpeas are quite affordable, whether they’re canned or dried. The same thing goes for other ingredients in this recipe since they’re pantry staples that you probably already have on hand.

• Delicious Flavors

Even with simple ingredients, this dish doesn’t fail to deliver amazing flavors. The starchy and nutty chickpeas marvelously intertwine with the tender pasta, both of which are made more flavorful by earthy spinach, subtle aromatics, and velvety smooth cream sauce.

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Is This Recipe Healthy?

Yes, it is.

As the name suggests, this pasta is loaded with chickpeas. This legume is an excellent replacement for meat in vegan recipes because of its protein content. Furthermore, it also comes with various other essential nutrients, which gives it potential health benefits like aiding weight management and improving digestion. Naturally cholesterol-free and low in sodium, chickpeas may also promote heart health.

We also kept an eye on important dietary components to make sure they are within acceptable limits. As such, each serving contains approximately:

• 451 calories
• 8.4 g saturated fat
• 587 mg sodium

Ingredients You'll Need

As previously mentioned, the ingredients are all pantry staples, so you’ll have no trouble assembling them at any moment. Here are all you’ll need to put together this dish:

• Chickpeas: Keeping things quick and simple, we used canned chickpeas. You only need to crack open the can, strain the water, and rinse them off. You can also use dried chickpeas, although it might take longer to prepare.
• Pasta: We went with spaghetti since it’s such a pantry staple, but you can use anything available. If you don’t like long pasta, medium-length varieties like penne, farfalle, or fusilli will also work.
• Vegetables: To add a pop of green to the dish, we included some spinach. The overall taste is quite mild, so this veggie also brings a few earthy notes that diversify the flavors.
• Aromatics: With tiny pieces of shallots and garlic, our dish gets a peppery undertone that subtly kicks up the overall flavor.
• Dairy Products: We used a mixture of milk, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese to create the creamy and delicately sweet pasta sauce.

FAQ

1. Is this chickpea pasta vegan?

This recipe includes parmesan cheese, which means it’s not vegan. However, since it’s already meatless, you can simply switch out dairy products to make it vegan. You can substitute the heavy cream with plant cream, the milk with almond milk or coconut milk, and the parmesan cheese with any of your preferred vegan options.

2. Can I add meat to this recipe?

Yes, you can. There are various types of meat that would be a great fit for this recipe, including tuna, chicken, and turkey.

3. Does this recipe have other variations?

Chickpeas and pasta are both incredibly versatile, so this recipe leaves a lot of room for changes. You can diversify the flavors with a few extra veggies like mushrooms, kale, or aubergine. Spice it up a little with a pinch of paprika or red pepper flakes. You can also use tomato sauce instead of the cream mixture for a more vibrant spin-off.

How to Store and Reheat

When kept covered in the fridge, this chickpea pasta should last up to 3 days. Note that as leftovers, the dish will not taste exactly the same. The pasta might dry up and the overall taste might be slightly milder.

To reheat, simply put the dish in the microwave or give it a quick stir on the stovetop over medium heat. Add a pinch of water or olive oil to loosen the strands if they appear to have clumped up.

What to Serve With

With its mild and uncomplicated taste, this chickpea pasta goes well with a wide variety of side dishes. Here are a few that we recommend for your meal:

• Watercress Salad Recipe
• Asparagus Salad Recipe
• Salad Mix Recipe
• Spring Salad Recipe
• Lettuce Salad Recipe

Chickpea Pasta Recipe

5 from 1 vote

For a quick and easy meal that still tastes undeniably good, give this chickpea pasta recipe a try. With pantry staples and a 20-minute cook time, you’ll have no trouble cooking up a dish or two to keep the family full and happy.

- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2023-02-09

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• cook TIME 8 mins
• prep TIME 12 mins
• total TIME 20 mins

• COURSE Main Dish
• CUISINE American
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 450 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 8 oz canned chickpeas
• 16 oz cooked spaghetti (from 8 oz uncooked)
• 2 oz spinach
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp shallot (diced)
• 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 0.5 oz parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

Prep:

1

Cook the Spaghetti: Check the package for specific guides on the time and water amount. Boil the water, add the pasta, and gently stir every few minutes until al dente. Use a colander to drain the water.

2

Mince the Garlic: Bash the garlic with the side of the knife to remove the skin, trim off the end, then thinly slice each clove. Rock the knife back and forth over the sliced pile until finely minced.

3

Dice the Shallot: Cut off the roots and remove the papery skin then lengthwise slice the shallot in half. Lay the half horizontally flat and make lengthwise slits into the shallot while leaving the roots intact, then cut crosswise into tiny pieces.

4

Chop the Parsley: Bunch the leaves together and thinly slice. Then, rock the knife over the sliced leaves a few times until the leaves are finely chopped.

5

Prepare the Chickpeas: Drain the chickpeas then gently pat them dry with paper towels.

Cook:

1

Sauté the Aromatics: In a pan or skillet over medium heat, sauté 2 tbsp shallot and 1 tbsp garlic with 3 tbsp olive oil until fragrant.

2

Add the Chickpeas and Condiments: Add 8 oz canned chickpeas, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour, and 1 tbsp unsalted butter and stir around for 30 seconds.

3

Add the Spinach: Add 2 oz spinach and stir around for 2 minutes.

4

Add the Dairy: Add 4 tbsp heavy cream and 3/4 cup milk and continue stirring for 1 minute until slightly thickens.

5

Add the Spaghetti: Add 16 oz cooked spaghetti and stir around for another 3 minutes to evenly coat everything in the sauce.

6

Garnish and Serve: Transfer the pasta onto serving plates, garnish with 0.5 oz parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp parsley and serve.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Chickpea Pasta Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 450

% Daily Value*

Fat 23.3g

36%

Saturated Fat 8.4g

53%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9g

Monounsaturated Fat 10.4g

Cholesterol 31.7mg

11%

Sodium 587mg

26%

Potassium 340.4mg

10%

Carbohydrate 48.7g

16%

Fiber 4.5g

19%

Sugar 5.2g

6%

Protein 13.3g

27%

Vitamin A 1907.5IU

38%

Vitamin C 7.7mg

9%

Calcium 152mg

15%

Iron 1.9mg

11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: chickpea pasta, chickpea pasta recipe, how to make chickpea pasta