This recipe for Chickpea Pasta with Garlic and Herbs is quick and easy to make, budget-friendly, kid-friendly, and vegan.
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. It's one of those easy and delicious last minute dinners. Make this herb pasta when your fresh herbs are about to take a turn for the worst.
I'm sure this family-friendly pasta will become a favorite in your home.
Why This Recipe for Chickpea Pasta With Garlic and Herbs Is Fabulous
- 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.
How to Make This Recipe
- Sauté the chickpeas in a large skillet until they are golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt the vegan butter. Add the parsley, fresh herbs, and red chili flakes and cook until the parsley in just wilted, and the garlic is fragrant.
- Transfer the fresh herb mixture to a bowl.
- Cook your pasta. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining. Don't be like me and forget to do this!
- 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.
- It's that easy!
Ingredients & Nutrition
Chickpeas
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
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 flavenoids which may have anti-cancer properties.
Nutritional Yeast
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.
My preferred brand is Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning. 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, where as 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.
More Chickpea and Pasta Recipes:
Made this recipe? Share your creation with me on Instagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 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 pasta (½ packet)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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. 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.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Jennifer
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
I'm so glad you like the recipe. Dried herbs are perfectly fine to use. Have a great day.
Emily Gengler
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
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
this is a great weeknight pantry dinner - easy, fast and tasty!
cookingforpeanuts
Yes, it's a quick one. Enjoy!