Creamy pasta with chickpeas is a classic.
I flavored my creamy pasta with chickpeas with vegetable sauce and tomato sauce: creamy and flavorful pasta with chickpeas.
Chickpeas
I prepare several portions to have a small and practical stock in the freezer:
• cooking chickpeas in a pressure cooker.
This way, you just need to thaw them in time, and in a few minutes, the pasta will be ready, avoiding canned legumes.
Otherwise, remember that dried chickpeas require soaking [12-24 hours].
If you’re unsure about the quantities to prepare, I’ve noted the weight variations of legumes from raw to cooked: chickpeas raw and cooked weight.
Preparation times
Vary based on the use of dried or pre-cooked chickpeas.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat penne
- cooked chickpeas, boiled (or pre-cooked packaged chickpeas for 2 people)
- 1 light vegetable broth cube (onion or shallot, celery stalks, garlic, and pumpkin)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp garlic, oil, and chili pepper seasoning
- 4 parsley stems
- 1 shot glass white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce (homemade)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- chopped parsley
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (raw)
Suggested Tools
- 1 Pan
Preparation
Prepare the chickpeas following the procedure described in cooking chickpeas in a pressure cooker or, if you already have them ready in the freezer, thaw a double portion.
Alternatively, use packaged pre-cooked chickpeas.
Dissolve a vegetable broth or sauce* in 1/4 cup of water.
* onion or shallot, celery stalks, garlic and pumpkin cooked in the oven and blended.In a pan, heat the garlic, oil, and chili pepper seasoning along with some parsley stems to flavor.
Deglaze with a shot glass of white wine.
Add the chickpeas to the pan, stir and let them brown.Add:
• the vegetable broth or sauce dissolved in water;
• a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce;
and stir to combine.Adjust with salt and grind the pepper.
Let it simmer for a few minutes until you achieve a creamy consistency, then turn off the heat.
The chickpeas will thicken as they cool.Cook the pasta, rinse it under running water, and drain it.
Meanwhile, heat the chickpeas to restore their creamy consistency.
Pour the pasta into the pan with the chickpeas, add plenty of chopped parsley and mix.Plate.
Grind some more pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.Your creamy and flavorful pasta with chickpeas is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Tips on Pairing Legumes
Pairing with pasta, rice, or other cereals allows for better absorption of legume proteins.
Cereals included in these dishes, in fact, compensate for missing amino acids in legumes, allowing for a complete amino acid pool.
Choose preferably whole grains.
For more information: how to pair legumes in the diet.
