Penne & Broccoli with Creamy Chickpea Sauce

Simple Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe from One Dish Vegan Cookbook

Pureed chickpeas provide a hearty base for this easy and flavorful sauce that pairs nicely with penne pasta and broccoli for a simple and satisfying one dish meal from the One Dish Vegan cookbook by Robin Robertson.

Instead of broccoli, you could substitute another vegetable such as cauliflower, asparagus, or zucchini. Use gluten free pasta to make this easy pasta recipe gluten free.

Total prep & cook time: 30 min

4 Servings

Nutrition Data Per Serving 257g: 391 calories, 73g carbohydrate, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 134mg sodium, 14g dietary fiber, 14g protein, 5g Sugars. Low in saturated fat & cholesterol, Soduim. Good source of Dietary Fiber, Folate and Manganese, Vit. C, Vit. K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin and Vit. B6. Estimated glycemic load: 38

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil or 1/4 cup water
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 - 12 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or one 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast OR 1 Tbsp mellow white miso paste
• 1/2 - 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil or water in a small skillet over medium heat
2. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and reserve
3. Cook the penne in a large pot of salted boiled water, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente (cooked through but firm), 7 - 10 minutes
4. About 5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the broccoli
5. Drain the cooked broccoli and pasta well and return to the pot
6. While the pasta is cooking, combine the chickpeas and reserved garlic in a food processor. Add the broth, lemon juice, nutritioal yeast, paprika, oregano, basil, pepper and salt to taste. Process until smooth.
7. Pour the sauce over the pasta and broccoli and toss gently to combine. Serve hot.

Recipe Tips:

I used Tinkyada brand brown rice penne pasta. I like that gluten free pasta brand because it stays intact when cooked.

I used both the nutritional yeast and the mellow white miso for extra cheesy flavor, and passed on the added salt (miso is very salty).

A jar blender or stick blender also works well for pureeing the chickpea sauce.

For additional protein, add whole chickpeas to the dish, or chopped vegan sausage or tempeh bacon.