Easy Lemon Broccoli Chickpea Pasta

A super easy, bright and satisfying pasta made using chickpeas three different ways!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy, gluten free, pasta, quick, Vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 550kcal

1 large head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1 cup chickpeas reserved
4 tablespoon shallot-infused olive oil (or: 4 tablespoon oil of choice + one minced shallot)
1 (8-9 oz) box chickpea rotini, 1-2 cups of pasta water reserved (or: favorite pasta)
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Roast: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss broccoli and one cup of chickpeas in 1 tablespoon oil, with a pinch of salt and several cracks of pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes.
Boil: Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserving 1-2 cups of pasta water.
Bloom: Add the remaining 3 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the red pepper flakes and several cracks of black pepper. Add the minced shallot at this time as well, if using.
Mash: Once the spices are fragrant, add the remaining chickpeas, lemon juice, and ½ cup of pasta water. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a heat-safe masher, mash the chickpeas into a chunky sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional pasta water. If it seems too thin, allow additional liquid to cook off.
Combine: When the sauce appears homogenous, add the broccoli, pasta, and lemon zest. Stir gently to combine. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or lemon as needed. Top with roasted chickpeas and serve!

Additional topping ideas: This pasta also goes great with parmesan, vegan "parmesan", or nutritional yeast.