Pasta with Chickpea Sauce

By Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light

Onions, carrots, and garlic cook in olive oil until buttery soft, then get blended with chickpeas and water to form a deeply savory puree that coats pasta beautifully. It’s a satisfying dish that just happens to be vegan. Try to let the blender run for a minute or two when pureeing the ingredients; the smoother the sauce, the better the dish. A flourish of fresh herbs at the end brightens and freshens the dish; you can use all parsley or all basil if you don’t have both on hand.

Yield

• Serves 4 (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup drained canned unsalted chickpeas
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups hot cooked whole-grain penne (8 oz. uncooked)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium.

Step 2

Add onion, carrot, and minced garlic; cook 8 minutes.

Step 3

Place onion mixture, chickpeas, water, salt, and pepper in a blender; process until smooth.

Step 4

Toss with hot cooked penne; sprinkle with parsley and basil.