Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegan
Spicy Tomato Chickpea Pasta
When you love chickpeas so much, you throw them in the pasta sauce… and you use them as the actual pasta noodles. #number1fanchick
Chickpeas are most definitely my favourite legume. Blended with tahini into creamy hummus; roasted in the oven with spices until crispy; turned into sweet cookie dough with some peanut butter, or simply added to a nourishing buddha bowl, is there anything else this glorious plant can’t do? Well, just until I thought I had seen it all, it decided it could also be pasta. Mind. Blown.
And so, I made the ultimate protein pasta dish. Carbs, I still love you.
When the carnivorous cat approves the vegan pasta. #nailedit
This vegan recipe is really simple to make – it is ready in about 30 minutes! Easy. It also is super tasty – the sauce takes a spin on a Bolognese pasta dish – except it’s plant-based. Obviously. I loved this recipe so much that I made sure I had made a whole lot for my meal prep for the week. I didn’t get bored of it once – scout’s honour. You can also play around with the vegetables and switch it up every time as you so wish. Keep yourself on your toes 😉 Although, I would always recommend keeping the mushrooms.
I felt super satisfied with eating this dish – you know that nice belly feeling that leaves you not too full and not too hungry with zero bloat? Ah yeah, that’s the life.
This dish ticks all the boxes:
Healthy.
Satisfying.
Vegan.
Flavourful.
Simple.
Ready for a Bolognese-inspired pasta recipe? Umm, duh.
Serves: 5 cool peeps (or one cool person for a week)
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box (250g) of 100% chickpea pasta (I used pasta from Happy Earth People)*
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, leaves removed and chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- A handful of white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tin of tinned tomatoes
- 1/2 tin of canned chickpeas
- 1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (or more if you can handle)
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable spice/seasoning (I used the Vegetable Seasoning from Ina Paarman)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Toasted pine nuts, to serve
- Chopped fresh basil, to serve
Method
1. Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions. They only take 6-8 minutes to cook so I would recommend cooking them while the sauce is going rather than letting them sit and get cold. This pasta has a better texture and also tastes yummier when eaten just as it’s been made. When the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.
2. Get on your sauce. In a large pan, heat some water (or you can use olive oil) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the salt and pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add some extra water as you go so as to ensure the veggies don’t burn and stick to the pan. Then add your herbs and spices. Sauté for another few minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Bring the heat to simmer, add a bit more water if required. Fold in the chickpeas.
3. When both the sauce is ready, add the pasta to the sauce. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. I forgot to add some toasted pine nuts and fresh basil to the pasta. Don’t be silly like me – definitely, add that to your dish.
*If you don’t have chickpea pasta, feel free to use any other pasta of your choice! The world won’t end.
For more deliciously conscious recipes like these visit Francesca on her wonderful blog: Francesca Eats Roses where she shares her journey with all, it’s dips and contours.