This vegan sun-dried tomato pasta with chickpeas is bright, briny, and packed with flavor from capers, tomato paste, lemon, and Calabrian chili peppers.
What you need
Pasta: Angel hair pasta is a great, quick-cooking option that soaks up the savory tomato broth nicely. You could also try this with your favorite long or short pasta shape. Try it with rigatoni, linguine, or even orecchiette.
Aromatics and heat: Yellow onion, garlic, capers, and optional Calabrian chili peppers create a bold, briny base with just enough spice.
Tomatoes and chickpeas: Sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and chickpeas make the sauce rich, hearty, and satisfying.
Finishing touches: Baby spinach, lemon juice, and fresh basil brighten everything up at the end.
How to make it
Step 1: Make the sauce. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant. Add the capers, Calabrian chili peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste and cook until rich and deeply savory.
Step 2: Simmer the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas and water and simmer until flavorful and slightly thickened.
Step 3: Cook the pasta. Boil the angel hair until al dente and reserve a little pasta cooking water before draining.
Step 4: Finish the pasta. Stir the spinach and lemon juice into the sauce and cook until the spinach wilts. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water and toss until glossy and coated.
Step 5: Serve. Finish with fresh basil and enjoy.
Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon caper brine optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chili peppers optional, or crushed red pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas drained
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta
- 3 ounces baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
Instructions
Prepare the sauce:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the capers, caper brine, Calabrian chili peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute before adding the tomato paste. Mash the tomato paste into the aromatics and sauté for 2 minutes until it deepens in color.
Simmer the chickpeas:
- Add the chickpeas and 1 cup water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Boil the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
Finish the pasta:
- Remove the lid from the sauce. Add the chopped spinach and lemon juice and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and the angel hair pasta and toss to coat. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Divide the pasta between shallow bowls. Finish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
