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    Home » Chickpea Recipes

    Creamy Chickpea Pasta Sauce

    Published: Oct 3, 2022 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Graphic with 2 images of pasta served on a plate with text between the images.
    Graphic with images of a pan of pasta in chickpea sauce with text at the bottom.
    Holding a plate of pasta served with fork with text overlay.

    Creamy, flavorful, and incredibly delicious, this chickpea pasta sauce is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! It is simple to prepare and is ready in 30 minutes. This incredible sauce is nutritious and satisfying to have. 

    Chickpea pasta served with chopsticks with chopped cilantro and chili flakes beside.

    Chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients to work with! These little gems are super versatile, and you can use them to make almost anything, even desserts like my cookie dough hummus and peanut butter blondies. 

    This time, we will be using them to make a fantastic chickpea pasta sauce! 

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🍝What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make
    • ✔Helpful tips 
    • 🥦Substitutions and add-ins 
    • 🍽More vegan pasta recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Lucious, hearty, and packed with flavors 
    • Nutrients-dense and packed with plant protein to keep you fuller for longer 
    • Easy to make and only require simple ingredients 
    • Subtly spiced and suitable for both kids and adults alike 

    🍝What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like onion, garlic, chickpeas, pasta, herbs, and mustard.

    📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

    • Pasta - I use regular penne, but you can use pasta of any shape and size. Opt for whole-grain pasta or pulse pasta like red lentils or chickpeas pasta to bump up the fiber and protein content. 
    • Chickpeas - Both canned chickpeas and those made from scratch will work. 

    🔪How to make

    Cook pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set aside. 

    Heat a pan, then add onion and saute until translucent. Stir in garlic and fry for another minute or until fragrant. 

    Cooked onion in a black pan on a blue striped teacloth with garlic beside.
    Cooked onion and garlic in a black pan on a blue striped teacloth with a ramekin beside.

    Add chickpeas, vegetable stock, cooked aromatics, Italian seasoning, and mustard into a high-speed blender along with salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. 

    Heat the sauce in a pan. Once the chickpea pasta sauce starts to simmer, add cook pasta in and toss until they are well coated. Serve and enjoy immediately. 

    Chickpea pasta sauce in a blender.
    Pasta in chickpea sauce in a cast iron skillet on a blue striped teacloth.

    ✔Helpful tips 

    • Remember to salt your pasta cooking water. Salting the cooking water helps the flavor of pasta to develop. 
    • I highly recommend using chickpeas on the softer and mushier side to aid blending. If your canned chickpeas are hard, you could take the extra step to boil them for 10-15 minutes. 
    • Use a high-speed blender to blend your chickpea pasta sauce for a good few minutes to yield the smoothest sauce. 
    • Adjust the amount of pasta water used to achieve desired consistency. I love a thicker sauce, but you could add more water if you prefer it to be thinner. 
    • This dish is best eaten warm as the sauce will thicken up the longer it sits. However, you can quickly fix thick sauce by adding a splash of water or plant milk, then reheating it. 
    • Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Add a splash of water or milk to thin out the sauce during reheating. 
    A pan of pasta cooked in chickpea sauce served with spoon with cilantro, chili flakes, and pasta beside.

    🥦Substitutions and add-ins 

    Chickpeas - Not a fan of chickpeas? You could use other kinds of beans in place like lima, cannellini, navy, or white kidney beans. 

    Pasta - As mentioned above, you could use any variety of pasta in this recipe, from regular durum wheat to the more nutritious ones like wholemeal or lentil pasta. To make this dish gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta like chickpea pasta or rice pasta. 

    Nutritional yeast - Gives sauce a cheesy flavor. Add about 2-3 tablespoons. 

    Seasonings - Go wild and add whatever sounds good to you! Paprika, oregano, dried rosemary, and cumin are some great additions. You can add some chili powder or cayenne pepper for a touch of heat. 

    Protein - Add a source of plant-based protein like vegan Italian sausages, chunks of seitan chicken breast, or some baked tofu for a more satisfying meal. 

    Veggies - This amazing pasta dish is great with peas, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli florets, or baby spinach. Do cook tougher veg like broccoli and zucchini first before adding pasta sauce.
    Toppings - I usually top it with some chopped cilantro and chili flakes, but you could absolutely do other toppings like chopped oregano and basil, grated vegan cheese, or vegan parmesan.

    A plate of chickpea pasta served with fork with chili flakes and cilantro in the background.

    🍽More vegan pasta recipes

    • Tandoori pasta in a pan with chili flakes, chopped parsley, and water beside.
      Creamy Tandoori Pasta
    • Pasta salad in a white bowl with fork. There are cherry tomatoes and black peppercorns in the background.
      High-protein Pasta Salad (low-calorie, vegan)
    • Spooning out some Thai basil pesto from a jar with pasta, chopped peanuts, and basil leaves beside.
      Easy Thai Basil Pesto
    • A pan of vegan marinara sauce with a wooden stirrer, olive oil, and chopped basil beside.
      Simple Vegan Marinara Sauce

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    A plate of chickpea pasta with a fork, cilantro and chili flakes beside.

    Creamy Chickpea Pasta Sauce

    Meesha
    Creamy, flavorful, and incredibly delicious, this chickpea pasta sauce is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner! It is simple to prepare and is ready in 30 minutes. This incredible sauce is nutritious and satisfying to have. 
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 226 kcal

    Equipment

    • high speed blender

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups dried pasta of choice
    • 1 small yellow onion diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (or about 1 ½ cups cooked)
    • 1 cup vegetable broth more, if needed
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
    • salt and pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook pasta according to package instructions, or until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
    • Heat up ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high. Once heated, add onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Stir in garlic and fry for another minute until fragrant.
    • In a high-speed blender, add in all ingredients needed for chickpea pasta sauce, including the cooked onion and garlic. Blend for a few minutes until smooth.
    • Pour the sauce back to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Toss in pasta and mix until everything is well incorporated. Serve and enjoy while warm.

    Notes

    Oil-free - Use ¼ cup of broth or water to saute onion and garlic in place of oil. 
     
    Helpful tips
    • Remember to salt your pasta cooking water. Salting the cooking water helps the flavor of pasta to develop. 
    • I highly recommend using chickpeas on the softer and mushier side to aid blending. If your canned chickpeas are hard, you could take the extra step to boil them for 10-15 minutes. 
    • Use a high-speed blender to blend your chickpea pasta sauce for a good few minutes to yield the smoothest sauce. 
    • Adjust the amount of pasta water used to achieve desired consistency. I love a thicker sauce, but you could add more water if you prefer it to be thinner. 
    • This dish is best eaten warm as the sauce will thicken up the longer it sits. However, you can quickly fix thick sauce by adding a splash of water or plant milk, then reheating it. 
    • Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Add a splash of water or milk to thin out the sauce during reheating.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 399mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 148IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Olivia Nelson

      September 19, 2023 at 12:15 pm

      4 stars
      It was a lot sauce. So I was able to put 4 cups of dry pasta. It work out pretty well. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Jim Mee Sha

        September 21, 2023 at 9:11 am

        Its my pleasure! Glad to hear that you like it. 😁

        Reply
    2. Rein Dearing

      September 12, 2023 at 11:37 pm

      How about adding a little aquafaba to sub for some of the vegetable broth? Would it make it creamier or just gummy?

      Reply
      • Jim Mee Sha

        September 14, 2023 at 9:57 pm

        Yes, you could try substituting up to a quarter!

        Reply
    3. Ashley

      July 09, 2023 at 2:51 am

      This was so delicious and a hit at our house. Even my kids loved it! Will definitely will be doing this again.

      Reply
      • Jim Mee Sha

        July 10, 2023 at 7:00 pm

        Thank you for your kind comment, glad to hear that!

        Reply

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