Easy Roasted Chickpeas Pasta with Spinach

This easy roasted chickpeas pasta with spinach is a light dish that's loaded with garlic, herbs and lemon flavours. It also has just the right amount of crunchiness, thanks to the roasted chickpeas that make this creamy vegetarian pasta a real treat.

Garlic, fresh herbs, and lemon are three of my favourite things to use in the kitchen, and this roasted chickpeas pasta has them all. I'm also a super fan of roasted chickpeas, which I could legit sprinkle on anything, so this creamy veggie pasta is pretty much the stuff of my dreams.

It's also a dish that's incredibly easy to make, even though you'll have to use both the oven and the stove.

You start by roasting a can of chickpeas that you've drained, patted dry, and tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. While the chickpeas are roasting in the oven, you boil the pasta and make the sauce. Everything should be ready at the same time, and you can have your meal on the table in under 30 minutes.

How do you roast the chickpeas?

I use chickpeas from a can for convenience. I always have at least a couple of them in the pantry so I can decide to make recipes like this one on a whim.

You can also roast chickpeas that you've cooked from dry. Soak them in water for at least 12 hours, then cook them for 40 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Here's how to roast the chickpeas.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the drained chickpeas on a kitchen towel to pat them dry and remove any loose skins.

Add the chickpeas to a bowl and toss them with one tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes until golden and crisp.

You can add some extras to the chickpeas, like half a teaspoon of Italian herbs or paprika. Make sure you flip the chickpeas halfway, so they roast uniformly.

How do you make the pasta?

• Melt the butter in a large pan and saute the garlic over medium heat for 1 minute.
• Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and chilli flakes, and continue to cook for another minute.
• Add the baby spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it wilts.
• Stir in the lemon juice, then transfer the pasta to the pan.
• Toss to combine, then add the roasted chickpeas and parmesan. Serve immediately with some extra grated parmesan if you like.

Make it vegan

This chickpea and spinach pasta is so easy to make vegan. Just use vegan butter instead of regular butter and skip the parmesan or substitute it with a vegan variety.

Recipe notes and tips

• This pasta tastes great hot or cold. You can serve with an extra squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of lemon oil if you like.
• You can substitute the spinach with wild rocket (arugula).
• This is a versatile pasta recipe, so you can add other veggies if you want. Ideas include broccoli florets, sundried tomatoes and artichokes.
• Parmigiano Reggiano is not vegetarian because it's made with rennet. If you want to make this pasta vegetarian, make sure you use a different type of hard cheese that's suitable for vegetarians.

If you liked this easy roasted chickpeas pasta with spinach, you may also like:

Prawn Chilli Pasta

Pasta alla Cenere (Gorgonzola and Black Olive Pasta)

Balsamic Caramelized Onion Pasta

Prosciutto Pasta with Rosemary and Honey

Easiest Ever Creamy Prawn Linguine (Linguine con Gamberi)

Pasta Alla Boscaiola (Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta)

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