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.
Course Main Course, Pasta Recipes
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword hummus pasta, hummus pasta recipe, hummus pasta sauce, vegan hummus pasta
½a can chickpeas cooked, drained, about 4 oz/ 120 g, Note 1
1tablespoonolive oil
¼teaspoonred pepper flakes
1pinchof fine sea salt or Kosher salt
Hummus pasta sauce:
1lbpasta Note 2
1tablespoonolive oil
1small onionfinely chopped
2garlic cloves grated
½cupsun-dried tomatoeschopped, 3.5 oz/ 100 g
1cuphummus 250 g, Note 3
½teaspoonsweet paprika
½teaspoongranulated sugar
1tablespoonlemon juice freshly squeezed, Note 3
fine sea salt or Kosher salt, to taste, Note 4
ground black pepper
1-2tablespoonschopped parsleyor 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/ 1/2 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.