Name: Easy Chickpea Pasta
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 140 g spaghetti; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 shallots (diced); 2 garlic cloves (crushed); 120 g chickpeas (canned (drained weight)); 150 ml reduced fat creme fraiche; 100 ml vegetable stock; 60 g Parmesan (grated ); 30 g fresh spinach; 0.25 lemon (juice only)

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This Easy Chickpea Pasta is ready in under 15 minutes and is a budget friendly, protein packed vegetarian meal that is easy to adapt. A delicious cupboard raid meal that makes use of chickpeas in a way you probably haven't used them before. A creamy pasta sauce loaded with chickpeas and spinach - healthy comfort food at its finest.

Chickpeas, also know as garbanzo beans, are a staple in Middle Eastern food because of how versatile they are. But there is so much more you can do with them than just hummus. They make a delicious addition to any kind of pasta for a vegetarian (and vegan) protein boost.

We have mixed spaghetti with a creamy sauce that is super simple to make and some crispy chickpeas and wilted spinach. Hearty, comforting, but really nutritious. What more could you want from a pasta dish?

Why should you try it?

Ready in 15 minutes
Budget friendly
An exciting way to use chickpeas
Easy to adapt
Healthy comfort food

How To Make This Easy Chickpea Pasta - step by step:

One: Add the spaghetti to a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt and simmer for 12 minutes.

Two: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and then add the shallots and garlic. Gently cook for 3 minutes, until softened.

Three: Add the chickpeas and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, until the edges start to crisp up.

Four: Add the spinach, creme fraiche, stock, lemon juice and Parmesan and cook on a low heat for a 3-4 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has reduced.

Five: Drain the spaghetti and stir it in.

What Vegetables Can You Add?

We love any kind of dish that you can pack with almost any vegetable, and pasta dished are perfect for that. We kept this simple with just shallots and spinach, but that just means there is plenty of opportunity to adapt.

When you are cooking the shallots and garlic, you could add finely chopped mushrooms, courgette and aubergine. This dish is super quick to make, so stick to soft, quick cooking veg rather than something like carrots.

What pasta to use

Spaghetti is always a good choice when it comes to any pasta and sauce, and most people usually have a good supply of it in their cupboard. You could swap spaghetti for linguine or tagliatelle too. I think these are the best to use, as the creamy sauce really clings to it.

But, really, you could use any pasta. This is what makes this such a great budget friendly cupboard raid meal, as you can just use whatever you already have in.

Can you make it vegan?

Chickpeas are basically a vegans best friend. I know that is a bit of a cliche, but they are so nutritious and protein packed, and so much that you can do with them. This chickpea pasta is really easy to make vegan too.

Simply swap the creme fraiche for a vegan version like Oatly and use a vegan Italian hard cheese alternative. Also note that Parmesan isn't vegetarian, so if you want to make this dish vegetarian then use an alternative. Most supermarket own brand Italian hard cheese is not only cheaper, but also vegetarian which is a bonus.

What To Serve It With?

This pasta dish is nutrient dense, and really does have it all. But that doesn't mean it can't have more, right. Pasta and garlic bread is a classic combo. You can easily make your own by slicing up a french stick and spreading it with a mixture of butter, garlic and herbs and putting it in the oven for 10 minutes.

A big green salad would be a good choice for a side with this too.

When serving, a sprinkle of red chilli flakes, some chopped fresh parsley, extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil just set the dish off in my opinion.

Can You Freeze It?

If you make too much of this, then instead of wasting it you can freeze it. To be totally honest, it's not the best pasta dish to freeze, as it will be a little dry when reheating. But, you could add some extra creme fraiche to the pan when reheating.

Extra Tips:

Add a kick of spice to this dish by sprinkling it with red chilli flakes before serving.
If you are going to reheat this, add some water and extra creme friache to the pan so it isn't too dry.
Add extra vegetables with mushrooms, courgette and aubergine at the same time as the shallots.
You can add any kind of cooked pasta to this creamy sauce.
For extra fibre, use wholewheat spaghetti.
This recipe is a good way to use leftover Roasted Chickpeas.

Want to try some other chickpea recipes? How about these:

Spicy Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry

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