Creamy chickpea and roasted pepper pasta
- Lactose Free
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serving: 4
PRESENTATION
Pasta with chickpea cream and peppers is one of those Italian dishes that just makes sense, especially when the weather warms up and everyone craves something light yet filling. The star here? The creamy chickpea pasta sauce. It's really, really smooth, showing off how tender chickpeas can get when blended with good olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon. That citrus touch adds a tangy freshness, which is just perfect with the slightly crunchy sautéed peppers—usually a mix of red and yellow for a bright pop of color. Honestly, this combo gives you a bright, summer-ready bowl that’s still hearty enough for dinner.
In Italy, folks love tossing legumes like chickpeas with pasta, especially when they want something that's both healthy and quick. This dish fits right in with those express meals Italian families whip up when time is short, yet everyone still wants real food. And the sauce? It's magic.
Across different Italian regions, some people elevate their pasta with chickpea cream by adding ingredients like guanciale or rich, melty taleggio cheese for extra flavor. But the classic version—with just the chickpea cream and sweet, moist peppers—is a staple for anyone who loves pasta with peppers that’s packed with flavor without the heaviness. And look, the mix of smooth sauce and crisp, barely cooked peppers ensures every bite has a bit of everything: mellow, nutty notes from the chickpeas, a sweet hit from the peppers, and that lemony zing to tie it all together. Fans of plant-based pasta recipes and easy, healthy pasta dishes find this one quick to make, yet special enough for a weeknight dinner or serving friends.
Plus, it pairs perfectly with a simple green salad and a cold drink, offering a meal full of color, texture, and the easygoing Italian spirit you want when the sun’s out and fresh veggies are in season. This dish has the core of Italian cooking, where simplicity meets deliciousness—making it a great choice for any occasion. Really, it's just so, so good.
You might also like:
INGREDIENTS
- Rigatoni 11.3 oz (320 g)
- Red peppers 1 cup (150 g)
- Yellow peppers 5.3 oz (150 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Lemon peel 1
- Lemon juice 1
- Chives to taste
- For the chickpea cream
- Precooked chickpeas 1.8 cups (300 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Black pepper ¼ tsp (0.5 g)
- Water 0.6 cup (150 g)
How to prepare Creamy chickpea and roasted pepper pasta
To prepare the pasta with chickpea cream and peppers, start with the chickpea cream. In a pan heat a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly brown two peeled garlic cloves 1. Add the well-drained chickpeas 2, season with salt 3 and pepper, and pour in just enough water to barely cover them, without exceeding.
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then remove the garlic cloves 4. Transfer the chickpeas to the container of an immersion blender 5 and blend until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous cream 6. Set it aside.
Meanwhile, clean the peppers: remove the stem and inner membranes, then cut the red 7 and yellow 8 peppers into roughly 3/8-inch cubes. In the same pan heat a drizzle of oil and add the peppers 9.
Season with salt 10 and let them cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally 11. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni 12.
When they are al dente, drain them directly into the pan with the peppers 13. Then add the chickpea cream prepared earlier 14. Finish with the lemon juice 15.
Aromatize with the lemon zest 16 and, if necessary, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to make the sauce creamier. Toss the rigatoni until you obtain a coating sauce that is well blended and enveloping 17. Divide the chickpea-and-roasted-pepper pasta among plates 18 and serve immediately, finishing as desired with freshly chopped chives.