Chickpea and Zucchini Pasta
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
Chickpea and zucchini pasta is a seasonal take on the classic pasta and chickpeas, enriched with fresh vegetables and a gourmet touch! Zucchini meet legumes in a light and nutritious first course that comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta, thanks to the use of pre-cooked chickpeas.
What makes this recipe irresistible is a velvety cream made from zucchini, basil and pine nuts that binds the ingredients together with its enveloping texture. Toasted pine nuts add a crunchy contrast, while a pinch of chili brings a touch of liveliness.
Excellent enjoyed hot or at room temperature, chickpea and zucchini pasta is a vegetarian dish perfect as a quick dinner saver or as office lunch fare, but it’s also elegant enough to serve on more formal occasions… guaranteed to impress!
Discover more tasty variations of Pasta and Chickpeas:
- INGREDIENTS
- Fusilli pasta 11.3 oz (320 g)
- Zucchini 0.9 lb (400 g)
- Precooked chickpeas 1 ¼ cup (200 g) - (drained weight)
- Pine nuts 1.8 oz (50 g)
- Basil 1 oz (30 g)
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.1 oz (30 g)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Dried chili pepper 2
- Extra virgin olive oil 2 ¼ tbsp (30 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
How to prepare Chickpea and Zucchini Pasta
To prepare the chickpea and zucchini pasta, first trim the zucchini and cut them roughly into cubes 1. In a pan, flavor a drizzle of oil with the garlic and dried chilies 2, then add the zucchini 3. Sauté over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, until golden.
Spoon out a couple of tablespoons of the cooked zucchini 4, transfer them to a container 5 and set aside. Add the pre-cooked chickpeas to the remaining zucchini in the pan 6 and continue cooking over high heat for a few minutes.
At the end of cooking, remove the garlic and the chili 7 and season with salt 8. Set aside and toast the pine nuts in another pan 9.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fusilli until al dente 10. In the meantime, take the container with the zucchini, add the basil leaves 11 and 2 tbsp of oil 12.
Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano 13 and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 14, then pour in a little water 15.
Blend with an immersion blender until you obtain a smooth cream 16. Meanwhile the pasta will be cooked, so drain it into the pan with the chickpeas and zucchini 17. Add the zucchini-and-basil cream and gently mix everything together 18.
Toss with a drizzle of oil 19 and a grind of pepper 20, then give it a final stir 21.
Plate and garnish with the remaining pine nuts 22 and a few basil leaves 23. Your chickpea and zucchini pasta is ready to be served, hot or warm 34!