Have a bowl of this delicious hummus pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and crispy chickpeas! This quick and easy dinner recipe is perfect for any day of the week.
We have a healthy, vegan, simple hummus pasta recipe for you today! You only need a few simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to cook this creamy and satisfying hummus pasta sauce that will have your whole family begging for seconds.
This is the perfect recipe to make when you discover that you have a lot of leftover hummus in the fridge. I often make a big batch or buy too many hummus containers when on sale just to realize that I might not be able to finish them off in time.
And that’s the right moment for a big hot bowl of vegan hummus pasta! Check out the Creamy Tahini Pasta (Vegan Recipe) or the Vegan Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese; they're delicious as well.
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Recipe ingredients
- Pasta: I like using whole wheat pasta to make this easy recipe. However, regular pasta is also fine. You can use any short pasta you like (penne, fusilli, farfalle, etc.). Or spaghetti.
- Chickpeas: You will need about ½ a can of cooked and drained chickpeas, so about one scant cup (4 oz/120 g). To avoid leftovers when using canned chickpeas, roast all the chickpeas and use the leftovers for other dishes (See Expert Tips).
- Hummus: I use homemade hummus most of the time; very likely, this recipe for the Best Hummus without Garlic or the Creamy Butter Bean Hummus. I also cooked this meal with red lentils and red pepper hummus; both versions were delicious.
- Use your favorite hummus, either homemade or store-bought.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You will need about ½ cup measured after chopping them into smaller pieces.
- Spices: Red pepper flakes, sweet paprika powder, fine sea or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Other ingredients: Olive oil, one small onion, two garlic cloves, a little lemon juice, and a bit of granulated sugar. You can top the dish with fresh parsley, fresh basil leaves, chopped chives, etc.
Additions or substitutions
- Replace sun-dried tomatoes with ripe cherry tomatoes (halved), defrosted peas, or small, cooked broccoli florets.
- Substitute the crispy chickpeas with toasted nuts like pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Add 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach or chopped arugula.
- Add cooked chicken or turkey, shrimp, cooked or smoked salmon, or canned tuna.
- Top the dish with caramelized onions.
- Sprinkle the creamy hummus pasta with Parmesan cheese.
How to make hummus pasta?
- Roast the chickpeas in a large skillet or frying pan until crispy and golden; it will take 8 to 10 minutes. Shake the pan very often to avoid burning the pulses (1).
- Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of well-salted water. Don’t forget to save some pasta cooking water before draining the rest.
- Make the hummus sauce while the pasta cooks.
Hummus sauce:
- Sauté the onions on medium-low heat until soft. Add garlic and sun-dried tomato and stir for another couple of minutes (2).
- Add hummus, spices, a pinch of salt, and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir well to loosen the hummus. Heat the sauce, and add a bit more pasta water to achieve the desired consistency (3).
- Adjust the taste of the hummus sauce, add the cooked pasta, and stir to combine. Divide the pasta into bowls and top with the crispy chickpeas and freshly chopped herbs just before serving.
Expert Tips
- Leftover chickpeas: You can roast all the chickpeas from the can to avoid leftovers and snack on those you don’t serve with the hummus pasta. The roasted chickpeas will turn softer after a while, but they will still taste good.
- You can eat them as they are, add them to bowls, smash them with avocado or cream cheese, serve them on bread, use them to top soups, etc.
- Hummus: You can make this sauce with homemade or store-bought hummus. However, my experience is that store-bought is always more acidic than homemade (it tastes sourer), so I recommend adding less or no lemon juice to the recipe. You should taste the sauce and decide whether it needs more tang.
- Salt: Start with a pinch and add more as required. Hummus is already well-seasoned, and you don’t want the dish to be overly salty.
Recipe FAQ
First of all, this hummus pasta sauce. Or make this Falafel Plate.
We love hummus, not just a spread or a dip but also warm and topped with roasted vegetables, ground beef, or chicken.
To reduce food waste, use leftovers to make salad dressings, stir them with hot rice, add them to soups to make them creamier, or make deviled eggs.
The hummus pasta dish is best served immediately.
However, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can serve the leftovers at room temperature (as a kind of pasta salad) or reheated.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a nut or dairy milk splash and stir to loosen the sauce.
I don’t recommend freezing leftovers. You can do it for about 2-3 months, but I was never a fan of frozen and defrosted pasta.
What to serve with it?
- A green salad with balsamic vinaigrette is always my first choice.
- But you can also serve the dish with roasted or steamed vegetables like green peas, broccoli, spinach, or green beans. Carrot or cabbage salad are also great side dishes.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Hummus Pasta Sauce (Vegan Recipe)
Equipment
- Large pasta pot
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Chickpeas:
- ½ a can chickpeas cooked, drained, about 4 oz/ 120 g, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt or Kosher salt
Hummus pasta sauce:
- 1 lb pasta Note 2
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped, 3.5 oz/ 100 g
- 1 cup hummus 250 g, Note 3
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed, Note 3
- fine sea salt or Kosher salt, to taste, Note 4
- ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley or other fresh herbs
Instructions
Chickpeas:
- Drain the chickpeas, and measure the scant cup you need. Spread the chickpeas on a paper towel and rub them dry. Some of their skins will come off; pick and remove them.
- Roast: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chickpeas, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Roast them for about 8-10 minutes, often shaking the pan until they are golden and crispy. Transfer them to a large plate until ready to serve.
Pasta:
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt generously, about 1 tablespoon table salt for 4 quarts/4-liter water. Add pasta and cook it al dente according to the packet’s instructions.
- Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water (you will not need it all) before draining the rest.
- Make the hummus sauce while the pasta cooks.
Hummus sauce:
- Chop 1 small onion, grate 2 garlic cloves, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes (100g/ ½ cup when chopped). Keep them separated from each other.
- Sauté: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook the onions with a pinch of salt on medium-low heat until softer, 5-6 minutes. If the onions get too dark, turn the heat low and stir often. Add the garlic and the tomato pieces and stir for another couple of minutes.
- Add 1 cup hummus (250 g), ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a few grindings of black pepper. Add about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and stir well to loosen the hummus.
- Heat the sauce for 1-2 minutes without boiling it, and add a bit more pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Adjust the taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if necessary. Add the drained pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve: Top with the crispy chickpeas and freshly chopped herbs just before serving.
Notes
- Chickpeas: ½ can of drained chickpeas is a bit less than 1 cup.
- Pasta: I used whole wheat elbow macaroni, but you can use any short pasta you like, either regular or whole wheat. Spaghetti is also fine.
- Homemade or store-bought hummus are both okay. However, my experience is that store-bought hummus is often more acidic than homemade (it tastes sourer). That is why I recommend adding less or no lemon juice to the recipe. Taste the sauce and decide if it needs more tang or not.
- Salt: Hummus is already seasoned, so it is better to start with a pinch of salt and add more to taste.
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