Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Pasta (Printable Version)

Hearty pasta with chickpeas, creamy tomato sauce, fresh spinach, and Mediterranean seasonings for a satisfying vegetarian meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)

→ Chickpea Mixture

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
06 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
07 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Creamy Sauce

12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or plant-based cream
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or vegan alternative

→ Vegetables

14 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
16 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How-To Steps:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in chickpeas, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and Parmesan cheese, mixing until the sauce is creamy and well combined.
05 - Add spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired sauce consistency is reached.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with torn basil and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like youve been cooking all day but sneaks in under 45 minutes from start to finish.
  • The chickpeas make it filling enough that no one asks where the meat is.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day after the flavors meld overnight.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce stick instead of sliding off like oil.
  • Add the cream on low heat or it can break and turn grainy, which happened to me once and I nearly cried.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time instead of dumping it all in at once.
03 -
  • Use a skillet large enough to toss the pasta in, or you will end up transferring everything to a bigger pot mid-recipe like I did once.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the salt, because canned tomatoes vary wildly in sodium levels.
  • If you want it vegan, nutritional yeast mixed with a little miso paste mimics that Parmesan funk surprisingly well.
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