Not only is this delicious creamy chickpea pasta easy, quick, and delicious, but it’s also vegan and budget-friendly! A perfect hearty weeknight dinner made from mostly pantry staples.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 25 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Creamy and Flavorful: You’d be amazed how rich and creamy the sauce is considering it has no dairy! It’s made with unsweetened soy milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice, offers a tangy and savory taste.
- Vegan and Nutritious: Chickpeas provide a high-protein boost, while nutritional yeast adds essential B-vitamins and a cheesy flavor.
- Budget-Friendly: Uses mostly pantry staples like chickpeas and spaghetti, keeping costs low at around $7 AUD for four servings.
Ingredients
This Creamy Chickpea & Lemon Pasta is made from simple pantry staples, making it both convenient and affordable. Key ingredients include chickpeas for a protein boost plus miso paste and nutritional yeast for a rich, cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast might be less common but is easily found in health food aisles, specialty stores, or online. Here’s a quick shopping list to get you started:
Shopping List
- Olive oil
- Chickpeas
- Soy milk
- Nutritional yeast
- Light miso paste
- Fresh rosemary leaves
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Spaghetti
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
- Chilli flakes or chilli oil (for serving)
Specific quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Chickpea Lemon Pasta
Step One: Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
Step Two: While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add chickpeas and cook until they start to caramelize.
Step Three: Reduce the heat, add minced garlic and rosemary, and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the miso paste and nutritional yeast until the chickpeas are well coated.
Step Four: Pour in the soy milk and bring the sauce to a simmer. Add lemon juice and cook until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Step Five: Combine the cooked spaghetti with the sauce, stirring gently to coat the pasta evenly. Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of chili flakes or chili oil, if desired.
For detailed measurements and instructions, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions & Variations
Pasta: Use any pasta you prefer, such as whole wheat, gluten-free, or gnocchi.
Soy Milk: Can be substituted with another unsweetened milk. Almond milk, oat milk, or dairy (if you’re not vegan) will also work.
Nutritional Yeast: If unavailable, you can use a small amount of vegan parmesan or leave it out, though the flavor will be less cheesy. You could compensate for this by adding a little extra miso paste to taste.
Miso Paste: White miso can be substituted with yellow or red miso.
Rosemary: If you can’t get fresh, dried will do. Rosemary can also be swapped with thyme for a similar earthy note.
Chickpeas: If you don’t have chickpeas, white beans like cannellini or butter beans will both work well.
Expert Tip
Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti. If your sauce becomes too thick, a splash of this starchy water will thin it out and help maintain the perfect creamy consistency. This handy trick ensures your sauce stays smooth and clings beautifully to the pasta.
Storage
- Refrigeration: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or plant-based milk to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
FAQs
Yes, you can use any type of pasta you like. I prefer this with regular wheat spaghetti, but when I make this for my toddler, I use a shorter pasta shape like penne or fusilli as they’re more manageable to eat. But this recipe would work with any pasta shape or type. You could try this with chickpea or legume pasta for more protein, whole wheat or gluten-free pasta.
You can substitute soy milk with other unsweetened plant-based milks such as almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk. I would not recommend rice milk as it is naturally quite sweet. Dairy will also work if you’re not vegan.
If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can use a small amount of vegan parmesan or leave it out entirely. Keep in mind the sauce will have a less cheesy flavor without it.
Yes, absolutely. More is more when it comes to vegetables. A leafy green like spinach, kale or broccoli would make a great addition. If using broccoli, sauté with the chickpeas until cooked. Kale and spinach could be stirred in towards the end of cooking.
It’s fine not to rinse chickpeas, but keep in mind that the liquid they are packed in can affect the flavor and texture of your dish. Rinsing helps remove excess salt and starch, resulting in a cleaner taste and better texture.
It’s generally better not to rinse pasta after cooking, as the starchy coating helps the sauce cling better to the noodles. The only exception is if you are using the pasta in a cold dish, like a salad, where rinsing can help cool the pasta and prevent sticking.
Serving Suggestions
- Sides: Pair with a simple green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette to complement the pasta’s creamy sauce.
- Bread: Serve with a side of garlic bread or crusty baguette to scoop up sauce or pasta.
- Spice it Up: Sprinkle with red pepper flakes or drizzle with chili oil for a touch of heat.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
- Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta: A creamy, dairy-free take on the classic Alfredo sauce, still rich and creamy but much lighter on the stomach.
- Mac n Cheese: A creamy but entirely vegan macaroni cheese made with lots of hidden vegetables.
- Kale Pesto Pasta: Fresh and vibrant, raw kale pesto that is super quick – ready in less than half an hour.
I hope you enjoy this super creamy and simple Chickpea Lemon Pasta. It’s so low-fuss but tastes comforting and wholesome. Let me know what you think of it by leaving a star rating and review below, or you can tag me @glowdiaries___ in your posts on Instagram – I love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen 🙂
Creamy Chickpea & Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 400 g chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp light miso paste
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves minced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 500 g spaghetti
To serve
- lemon wedges
- chilli flakes or chilli oil
Instructions
- Cook pasta to packet instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add vegetable oil to a large frypan over medium heat. Add chickpeas and stir for 5-7 minutes until chickpeas start to caramelise and brown around the edges.
- Reduce heat to low, then add the minced garlic and rosemary, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add miso paste and nutritional yeast, stirring until chickpeas are coated.
- Next, add soy milk and increase heat to medium to bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken, then add lemon juice. Continue to simmer for a few minutes until sauce reaches desired consistency (you can add an extra splash of soy milk or pasta water if you prefer a thinner sauce). Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Add cooked spaghetti to pan and stir gently with tongs to combine. Serve in pasta bowls with a wedge of lemon and chilli flakes (optional).
Janet k. says
Easy and delicious, a winner
Umair says
Liz, this was incredibly tasty! Appreciate it.
Umair says
Perfectly done, so delicious, thank you!
Umair says
Delish!
sarah says
Eager to try this, it looks wonderful.
Hong Nguyen says
Delicious! This has become a regular rotation in our house!
Tegan Busby says
We love this creamy, quick & tasty dish. Has become a regular pasta dish in our house!