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.
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/ 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.