Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Chickpeas | Pasta e Ceci

Pasta With Marinara Sauce and Chickpeas is a very delicious and flavorful, must-try one-pot recipe prepared using store-bought marinara or homemade tomato sauce, spaghetti pasta, and chickpeas as the main ingredients. This dish can be prepared in under 30 minutes and comes to about 800 calories per serving.

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• Ingredients for Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Chickpeas
• Step by Step Recipe
• Storage Instructions
• Expert Chef Tips
• FAQs
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• Recipe card
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Adding veggies to this pasta is totally optional. I always have an exhaustive stock of different varieties of pasta, pasta sauces, canned beans, and vegetables, as they come in handy to prepare a quick meal at any time during the day.

In this recipe, I used store-bought marinara pasta sauce. You can also prepare a delicious sauce with simple ingredients such as canned tomatoes (or fresh ripe tomatoes), garlic, onions, and herbs such as basil and oregano.

Everyone in my family enjoyed this pasta dish with a big smile on their face. Pasta e Ceci is great for school/office lunch-box as well as a quick comfort food during busy weeknights.

Ingredients for Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Chickpeas

• Pasta - I have used spaghetti pasta here. But you can use any pasta of your choice.
• Marinara sauce - I have used store-bought marinara pasta sauce in this recipe. You can even prepare marinara sauce at home.
• Alfredo sauce is added to make this dish creamy. This can be substituted with other store-bought cheese sauces (used for pasta/pizza) or heavy cream.
• Onion and Garlic are used for their aroma and flavor. You can substitute these with onion and garlic powder, or they can be completely skipped.
• Mushrooms, Bell peppers, Green Peas, Broccoli, Carrots, etc., are the vegetables used in this recipe. Use any vegetable or protein of your choice. Adding vegetables or protein is optional.
• Chickpeas is the main ingredient in this dish. Use canned or freshly cooked (usually pressure-cooked) chickpeas. They can be substituted with other canned beans of your choice.
• Mozzarella is added to make the dish more decadent. Any melting cheese can be used. My favorite substitute is Parmesan cheese for its nuttiness.
• Salt - taste
• Olive oil - to saute and drizzle.

For a list of all ingredients and their exact amounts, refer to the recipe card below.

Step by Step Recipe

Step 1 - Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Keep this aside.

Step 2 - Use half of the canned chickpeas in the pasta recipe and deep fry the other half in oil till it becomes crisp. This can be served as a side along with the pasta.

Step 3 - Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add onion, garlic, and saute till onions become translucent. Now add the remaining veggies of your choice and chickpeas and saute them till the vegetables are tender yet crispy.

Step 4 - Add marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce, and mix well. Bring it to a boil on medium flame till all the flavors are well combined.

Step 5 - Add in the cooked pasta and toss till it is well coated in the sauce. Garnish it with cheese. Spaghetti Pasta With Marinara Sauce and Chickpeas is now ready. Drizzle olive oil just before you serve. Serve hot with a side of crispy chickpeas, and enjoy.

Storage Instructions

• It is best to consume this dish fresh. However, if there are any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Reheat it gently on a stovetop or microwave until heated through.

Expert Chef Tips

1. You can substitute Alfredo sauce with other cheese sauces or heavy cream if desired. For a healthier version, you can skip Alfredo sauce altogether.
2. If you want it spicier, add slit green chilies, red chile powder or cayenne powder, Sriracha / Red Hot sauce, etc., while adding the marinara sauce.
3. Make sure you slightly undercook the pasta (i.e., 95% done) or al dente. Pasta will completely cook when tossed in hot marinara sauce.
4. Any variety of pasta can be used to prepare this dish. Follow the package instructions while cooking the pasta.
5. You can use the whole chickpeas while preparing the pasta. Deep-frying them in oil to serve crispy chickpeas with the finished dish is optional.

FAQs

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Recipe card

Note: This recipe was originally posted in December 2015. It has now been updated with simple modifications to the recipe, expert tips, and storage instructions.