When you want a healthy & quick dinner this easy roasted red pepper & chickpea pasta is the perfect choice. A deliciously creamy sauce flavoured with tahini.
Easy Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Pasta with Tahini
I have an exceptional homemade pasta sauce for you to try.
This easy roasted red pepper and chickpea pasta is quick to make, delicious, and a healthy option for a quick dinner.
It contains vegetables (the peppers are a fruit, but classed as veg in cooking), pulses and seeds, covering all the bases.
There's also no oil added to the sauce, just the oils naturally found in the tahini which is made from sesame seeds.
Why is this pasta sauce so good?
- It's a healthy option
- Very quick to make - sauce is made while the pasta cooks
- An easy recipe - and there's no chopping
- It tastes amazing
- The sauce works with lots of pasta shapes - from spaghetti to farfalle to spirali, or as my husband calls it curly wurly pasta
- It clings to the pasta
- The sauce can be made ahead - chilled or frozen until required
- A good way to get veg, pulses and seeds into a child's diet - or the more fussy adults
What you need to make roast pepper & chickpea pasta
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this gorgeous pasta.
- Your choice of pasta shape
- Roasted red bell peppers - freshly roasted or jarred
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - freshly soaked and cooked or bought ready cooked in a jar, tin or carton
- Garlic - you can add extra if you like
- Tahini paste
- Tomato puree (tomato paste)
- White wine vinegar - or lemon juice
- Oregano
- Salt and black pepper
- Dollops of pesto - thinned with a little olive oil or water
- Fresh basil
Variations
- Cherry tomatoes - whizzed into the sauce
- Dried basil - instead of oregano
- Lemon juice - instead of vinegar
- Chilli flakes or chilli powder - for a bit of heat
- Paprika - for a smoky finish
Jarred roasted red peppers
Freshly roasted peppers are always a thing of beauty, that add so much flavour to so many dishes.
However, the jars of roasted red peppers you will find in any supermarket or grocery store are very handy to have in your pantry, so you can throw together quick meals.
They add so much flavour to pasta dishes, pizza, salads, mezze, sandwiches and wraps.
I always have a couple of jars in the cupboard, just in case.
They are handy for making quick red pepper and olive spaghetti, butternut squash and red pepper soup or in a red pepper and kale wrap.
I use a whole jar of red peppers, drained, for this creamy red pepper pasta sauce.
Lebanese Tahini
I always thought tahini was bitter, but I recently discovered it was the supermarket tahini that I bought that was bitter and it was not how a good tahini should be.
This Lebanese Al Nakhil Tahini is a game-changer.
It's made from 100% sesame seeds and nothing else, it pours beautifully and doesn't thicken as it lies.
A creamy and very tasty tahini sauce with no bitterness at all.
This creamy tahini was recommended to me and I encourage you to get hold of some. It's so good!
I use it in my creamy tahini salad dressing, this Lebanese roast cauliflower bake and when I make hummus, but I've also started adding it to other sauces for a boost of flavour and nutrients.
Pasta water
It's well known that Italians add pasta water to their sauces.
The starch in the water from the pasta can help emulsify a sauce and thicken it, but it can also be used in larger quantities to thin down a sauce and give it a silky consistency.
It's always worth scooping some out near the end of pasta cook time, just in case you need it.
I use it in this red pepper sauce to thin it out, leaving a velvety sauce that clings to the pasta.
If you forget to scoop some pasta water out of the pot and your sauce is too thick, add some regular water to thin it.
Leftover pasta
Leftover pasta can be spooned into an airtight container to cool quickly, then add the lid and pop in the fridge for a couple of days.
You can eat leftovers cold or reheat in the microwave.
If you know you will have leftovers, I recommend leaving some of the pasta in the colander and rinse it with cold water until cold. to remove the starch and stop the pasta cooking.
It will leave you with glossy pasta you can stir cold pasta sauce into for the perfect pasta salad.
Make the sauce ahead
You can also prepare this sauce ahead and chill it in an airtight container until you need it.
It can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
As it's so quick to make, I tend to make it while the pasta cooks.
Can you freeze the sauce?
Yes, you can freeze this chickpea and red pepper sauce.
Spoon it into individual (labelled) freezer tubs or bags and leave to cool, before freezing.
To defrost, leave a potion in the fridge overnight, then reheat.
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How to make Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Pasta
A step-by-step photo guide followed by a full printable recipe.
Step 1
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of water at a fast boil (make sure it's salted too) according to the packet instructions until al dente (cooked but still a little firm).
- While the pasta cooks, add the sauce ingredients (full list below) to a food processor or blender (you could use an electric hand blender and a tall jug, but chop the ingredients first) and blend until smooth.
Step 2
- Pour the blended sauce into a large pot and warm through on a low heat.
- If you're cooking less pasta (less portions), just heat enough sauce for the pasta you are cooking and chill or freeze the rest of the sauce.
Step 3
- Near the end of the pasta cooking, scoop some of the pasta water out of the pot and pour it into the sauce to thin it.
- The pasta water will make the sauce silky.
Step 4
- Mix the pasta into the sauce until it is really well coated.
- Keep scooping the sauce from the bottom of the pan, to make sure it's evenly distributed.
Step 6
- Serve immediately, while the pasta is hot.
- I like to serve it with small dollops of pesto that's thinned down with olive oil or water.
- Fresh basil is good for serving too.
- Enjoy!
![Easy Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Pasta with Tahini Easy Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Pasta with Tahini](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_3Gi2dVKq6oH3DQULNG8xQeR4YkKazPDCUCqELAAQqFlboCM8UFM6GxD_0Yn-cQC0my9ZnQasVzL_d5D8628TS4oTAZ4MPFYTjBS6XHy8O-zGPjyCS-rltzJpS88Z2Z5V5b0QTJFVUNYeRBUJCtG7JM4OHA_bcPAPwncK-wKmIWe_-QAsGFPDqgV4vU/s1200-rw/Roast%20Pepper%20Chickpea%20Pasta.jpg)
Easy Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Pasta with Tahini
Ingredients
- 500g (17 1/2 oz) pasta
- 320g (11 oz) roasted red peppers (480g / 17 oz jar drained), don't worry if your jar is a little less of more, this recipe is forgiving
- 280g (10 oz) cooked chickpeas (soaked and cooked dried beans or chickpeas from a jar, tin or carton)
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt & black pepper
- 125ml (1/2 cup) pasta water, more if you like, to thin the sauce and give it a silky finish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, fast boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente (cooked but still a little firm).
- While the pasta cooks, add the sauce ingredients (not the pasta water) to a food processor or blender (you could use an electric hand blender and a tall jug, but chop the ingredients first) and blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended sauce into a large pot and warm through on a low heat.
- If you're cooking less pasta (less portions), just heat enough sauce for the pasta you are cooking and chill or freeze the rest of the sauce.
- Near the end of the pasta cooking, scoop some of the pasta water out of the pot and pour it into the sauce to thin it. The pasta water will make the sauce silky.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it well and pour the pasta into the sauce.
- Mix the pasta into the sauce until it is really well coated.
- Serve immediately, while the pasta is hot.
- I like to serve it with small dollops of pesto that's thinned down with olive oil or water.
- Fresh basil is good for serving too.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- If you know you will be cooking less pasta, set aside some of the sauce to chill or freeze for another day.
- Add more water to the sauce if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Chill the sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 3-4 months. To defrost leave a portion in the fridge overnight, then reheat to serve.
Calories
5 portions = 532 calories per portion
6 portions = 443 calories per portion
Nutrition Facts
Calories
443.36Fat (grams)
6.63 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.94 gCarbs (grams)
79.6 gFiber (grams)
7.46 gNet carbs
72.14 gSugar (grams)
4.74 gProtein (grams)
16.9 gSodium (milligrams)
750.19 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mg
Such a quick and easy pasta for a quick dinner. Love it! Bethany
ReplyDeleteYes it's definitely quick snd easy Bethany and it tastes great too.
DeleteJacqs gave me this recipe to try and my daughter and I love it. It's on our regular rotation now. Thanks J. Jill x
ReplyDeleteI'm just pleased you both enjoy it.
DeleteRight! I'm making this tonight! Love the flavours and extra protein!
ReplyDeleteHaha that's quick. I hope you enjoyed it and yes extra protein is a win.
DeleteI would never have though of adding tahini to a pasta sauce but this looks really good.
ReplyDeleteOh yes it works well with the chickpeas and red pepper.
DeleteThis plant based pasta was so easy, delicious and satisfying!! Great for a family-friendly dinner - even my kids loved it!
ReplyDeleteYay! Kids loving it is a big win. I'm pleased to say my son loves it too. I do think they tend to prefer a blended sauce.
DeleteDelicious! The sauce has a nutty hummus flavour from the chickpeas and sweetness from the peppers - it was so good!
ReplyDeleteOh yes all that and more. Such a tasty pasta dish.
DeleteLoved how quick and easy this recipe was to make! Perfect for busy parents and weeknight meals with the family!
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly why I made it in the first place. I always need easy meals midweek
DeleteLove the combination of flavors in this pasta recipe. Thanks alot for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome. I hope you try it Kushigalu.
Delete...just wondering where the white wine vinegar comes into the recipe?
ReplyDeleteWhoops, well spotted, I will sort that even at my PC. just in with the other ingredients, just a teaspoon.
Delete