This recipe for Chickpea Pasta with Garlic and Herbs is quick and easy to make, budget-friendly, kid-friendly, and vegan. It's one of those easy and delicious last-minute dinners. Created by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
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Crispy chickpeas paired with garlicky spaghetti and lots of fresh herbs are simply delicious. I'm sure this family-friendly pasta will become a favorite in your home.
It's a nourishing pasta dinner that's high in fiber, plant-based protein, and micronutrients from all the crispy, delicious chickpeas and fresh herbs. Plus, the total cook time is just 25 minutes, and the prep is minimal. Make this herb pasta when your fresh herbs are about to take a turn for the worse.
This chickpea spaghetti recipe was inspired by my Easy Pasta with Tahini Sauce, as well as this Pesto Pasta with Tofu on this site.
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🌿 What Makes This Recipe a Favorite
- The ingredients are budget-friendly.
- The whole family will love this dinner.
- This recipe transforms pasta into a high-protein meal with essential B vitamins and antioxidants.
- The ingredients are versatile. Substitute the chickpeas for white beans. Use any combination of fresh herbs you have on hand. Substitute the vegan butter for olive oil to add more heart-healthy fats.
👩🏼🌾Ingredients
Below are some notes about the ingredients from me, a nutrition expert.
- Chickpeas are an easy and scrumptious way to add fiber and protein to a meal. They are very versatile and can be roasted or sautéed to add more texture to a dish.
- Fresh Herbs can pack in as much nutrition as vegetables, but figuring out how to use them can be daunting. This recipe makes it easy. Herbs are rich in polyphenols -plant compounds with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Parsley is also high in vitamin K, as well as flavonoids, which may have anti-cancer properties.
- Nutritional Yeast is similar to the yeast used in baking, but it's been heated and dried. Use a fortified brand to get those essential B vitamins. Vegan parmesan can be substituted for nutritional yeast if you don't have any, or if you're not a fan.
- Spaghetti or pasta of your choice. Choose whole grains for more fiber.
🥬 Substitutions
- Nutritional yeast - omit if desired or substitute with grated vegan or dairy parmesan.
- Fresh herbs - use 2 teaspoons dried herbs instead as needed
📖 How to Make Chickpea Pasta
These steps will help you get the best results from this recipe.
- Sauté the chickpeas in a large skillet until they are golden brown and crispy. Set aside. Sautéing chickpeas makes them golden brown and crispy.
- In the same skillet, melt the vegan butter. Add the parsley, fresh herbs, and red chili flakes and cook until the parsley is just wilted and the garlic is fragrant. (Using fresh herbs adds more depth of flavor to this pasta.)
- Transfer the fresh herb mixture to a bowl.
- Then cook your pasta. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Combine the pasta, herb mixture, chickpeas, and enough pasta cooking water to loosen the pasta. Reserve any remaining pasta cooking water. It can be used to reheat the pasta if necessary.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Remember to save some of the pasta cooking water.
- Roast the chickpeas ahead of time in the oven to save time-Roast at 425ºF for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Chickpea Pasta with Herbs in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding vegetable broth if it gets too dry.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
My preferred brand is Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning, as it is tested for lead. Each one-tablespoon serving contains 3 grams of protein. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. It's gluten-free and fortified with folate and vitamin B12. It is an excellent choice for people who follow a vegan diet.
The major nutritional difference between dried and canned chickpeas is their sodium content. Canned chickpeas can be high in sodium, whereas dried chickpeas are essentially sodium-free.
Always rinse and drain your canned chickpeas to remove some of the sodium. And consider purchasing low-sodium canned chickpeas. In addition to the added salt, they sometimes contain other sodium-containing ingredients, such as kombu seaweed, which helps you digest the oligosaccharides in chickpeas.
Chickpea Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil (optional)
- 3 large garlic cloves sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh herbs oregano, thyme, and rosemary
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti or pasta of choice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Instructions
- For Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Sauté Chickpeas: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chickpeas for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Spices & Aromatics: Heat the vegan butter in the skillet over medium-high heat until it is just melted. Add the garlic, parsley, fresh herbs, and red chili flakes. (Add one tablespoon more vegan butter as needed.) Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the parsley is just wilted and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
- Mix & Season: Add the fresh herb mixture to the pasta and mix to combine. Add the chickpeas, and nutritional yeast. Use a pair of tongs to incorporate the ingredients. Add the desired amount of reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Most combinations of fresh herbs can be used. Just stick to the quantity in the recipe.
- The nutritional yeast can be substituted for vegan parmesan.
- This dish can be reheated. Reserve the remaining pasta cooking water and add the desired amount to the saucepan when reheating. Continue to heat until most of the water has evaporated.
- For Oil-Free: Skip the olive oil and vegan butter. Roast the chickpeas tossed in spices (paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper) and a drizzle of lemon juice. Add the garlic, parsley, fresh herbs, and red chili flakes to a splash of pasta cooking water or vegetable broth in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the parsley is wilted and the garlic is fragrant.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
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Laura says
Substituted the parsley with diced purple carrot leaf, added sautéed kale and spinach and used black bean spaghetti. So good! Chickpeas were perfect.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love your substitutions! Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Jennifer says
This was truly delicious and unique. I loved the sautéed chickpeas. I used fresh parsley, but didn’t have fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano - dried was fine, I sautéed them along with the garlic and parsley. I added a few canned diced tomatoes. I look forward to making this again!
Nisha Melvani says
I'm so glad you like the recipe. Dried herbs are perfectly fine to use. Have a great day.
Emily Gengler says
So delicious ❤ satisfying while still being light. This recipe introduced me to growing herbs! They go together beautifully in this, and I love how they shine as a main feature.
Nisha Melvani says
Hi Emily, Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I'm so happy you enjoyed all the herbs. Have a great day.
Siobhan Haber says
this is a great weeknight pantry dinner - easy, fast and tasty!
cookingforpeanuts says
Yes, it's a quick one. Enjoy!