This Pasta with Chickpeas is full of thick, flavorful sauce and protein-packed chickpeas. You'll love the unique flavors in this dish as well as how deliciously satisfying it is.
This recipe for Pasta with Chickpeas is both easy and delicious. Made with diced tomatoes, anchovies, and chickpeas, it has a thick and utterly delicious sauce to complement the perfectly cooked pasta. Rosemary and garlic add herbaceous flavor and an aroma that will have you taking an appreciative sniff when you fill your plate.
The chickpeas are partially blended to give a creamy texture to the sauce as well as sneak in some filling protein. Versatile enough to pair with your favorite side dishes, and able to be frozen for convenience, this recipe is a great one to have in your repertoire. Here's what you'll need to make it.
Video Recipe
Main Ingredients
- Pasta. Ditalini or small shells work best here.
- Olive Oil. Extra virgin, please.
- Rosemary. If you are not a fan, use thyme instead.
- Garlic. Just a few cloves.
- Diced Tomatoes. It's best to use high-quality organic diced or whole canned tomatoes.
- Anchovies. Canned anchovies without oil.
- Cooked chickpeas. Use canned or boil the chickpeas yourself.
- Salt & Pepper. To taste.
How to make this Pasta with Chickpeas
1. To a medium pot, add olive oil, garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and anchovy fillets. Saute for a few minutes.
2. Carefully add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. At this point, add the water, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Now, remove the rosemary twigs and garlic cloves from the pot. Using a ladle, remove about half of the chickpeas from the pot and blend them into a smooth puree (using a blender or immersion blender).
5. Add the pasta to the pot. Stir.
6. To the chickpea puree, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir thoroughly.
7. About a minute before the pasta is done cooking (check the package for precise cooking time), add the chickpea puree. Stir thoroughly, simmer for 1 minute, and serve. You can garnish with grated Parmesan or with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Tips for the best Pasta with Chickpeas
- Don't forget to remove the rosemary and garlic. A mouthful of these isn't so pleasant, so make sure to remove them before serving.
- Blend half the chickpeas. The starch in the chickpeas will become a thickening agent in the pasta sauce. But only use half so you can still enjoy whole ones with the pasta.
- Be careful when blending. Because the hot chickpeas will let off steam, be sure to secure the blender lid and allow some steam to vent. Also place a towel on top.
- Cook the pasta in the sauce. By using the sauce instead of water to boil the pasta, you allow the flavors to be absorbed. The pasta's starch will also thicken your sauce.
Variations to this Recipe
- Use other herbs and spices. You can also make this with thyme, or use oregano, red pepper flakes, or fennel seeds.
- Add meat. To make it a more filling meal, you can add ground beef or ground chicken to this pasta.
- Substitute other types of pasta. Other small pasta types that work are gemelli, mezzi rigatoni, small elbows, fusilli, or a gluten-free version.
- Add spinach. Adding fresh spinach near the end of the cooking process will give this dish extra flavor and health benefits. Frozen could work, but drain out excess water.
How to Store and Reheat it
Store this Pasta with Chickpeas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it, either with the sauce separate, or the pasta fully immersed in the sauce. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through.
What to Serve this with
- Bread. Serve slices of toasted and buttered bread, rolls, or garlic bread on the side of this Pasta with Chickpeas so you can sop up all the saucy goodness.
- Meat or Fish. You can add some Chicken Meatballs, Sausage Meatballs, Baked Cod, or Crispy Fried Shrimp to this dish.
- Vegetables. Serve it alongside Vegetarian Collard Greens, Oven Roasted Vegetables, Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Quick and Easy Stovetop Asparagus.
- Salad. Start the meal with a Roasted Mini Pepper Salad, Marinated Tomato Salad, Refreshing Cucumber Salad, or Amazing Kale Salad.
I hope you love the flavors and textures of this amazing Pasta with Chickpeas. It's a healthy and delicious recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
More tasty pasta recipes:
Pasta with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2-3 twigs fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 oz. anchovy fillets, oil drained
- 8 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- ¾ tsp. sea salt or to taste
- 10 oz. Ditalini or small shells pasta
- 1 can (15.5 oz.) cooked chickpeas
Instructions
- To a medium pot, add the olive oil, garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and anchovy fillets. Saute for a few minutes.
- Carefully add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
- At this point, add the water, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Now, remove the rosemary twigs and garlic cloves from the pot. Using a ladle, remove about half of the chickpeas from the pot and blend them into a smooth puree (using a blender or immersion blender).
- Add the pasta to the pot. Stir.
- To the chickpea puree, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir thoroughly.
- About a minute before the pasta is done cooking (check the package for precise cooking time), add the chickpea puree. Stir thoroughly, simmer for 1 minute, and serve. You can garnish with grated Parmesan or with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the best Pasta with Chickpeas
- Don't forget to remove the rosemary and garlic. A mouthful of these isn't so pleasant, so make sure to remove them before serving.
- Blend half the chickpeas. The starch in the chickpeas will become a thickening agent in the pasta sauce. But only use half so you can still enjoy whole ones with the pasta.
- Be careful when blending. Because the hot chickpeas will let off steam, be sure to secure the blender lid and allow some steam to vent. Also place a towel on top.
- Cook the pasta in the sauce. By using the sauce instead of water to boil the pasta, you allow the flavors to be absorbed. The pasta's starch will also thicken your sauce.
I don't see how much pasta to use?
Hi Lynae! Thanks for catching that! Mistake fixed. Let me know if you try the recipe!