Creamy pesto chickpea pasta
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2–3
The perfect weeknight dish for when you want something seriously tasty, but don’t have time for faffing around in the kitchen. Made with just a few everyday ingredients, this creamy pesto pasta couldn’t be easier to make!
Each serving provides 568 kcal, 21.3g protein, 55.8g carbohydrate (of which 6.4g sugars), 25.8g fat (of which 3.8g saturates), 11.1g fibre and 1.41g salt.
Ingredients
- 180–200g/6¼–7oz orecchiette pasta
- 1 tbsp oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 shallots (or 1 small onion), peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 3 tbsp green pesto
- 2 heaped tbsp light cream cheese
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 60g/2¼oz sun-dried tomatoes (drained weight), sliced
- large handful fresh basil leaves, sliced, plus extra to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- grated Parmesan (or an alternative vegetarian hard cheese), to serve (optional)
Method
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of heavily salted boiling water until just cooked, or according to packet instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the garlic, shallots, oregano and chilli flakes, if using, for a few minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the pesto and cream cheese. Add gradual splashes of pasta water to loosen the mixture and create a nice saucy consistency.
Stir through the chickpeas, allowing them to warm through for a minute, before adding the cooked pasta.
Stir through the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper.
Serve in bowls, along with the extra basil and a sprinkling of cheese, if using.
Recipe tips
Using light cream cheese makes the dish creamy without making it too heavy, but substitute for regular cream cheese or even cream if preferred.
Substitute the pesto, cream cheese and cheese to serve with dairy-free alternatives for a vegan option.
Any short pasta will be fine to substitute for the orecchiette, such as conchiglie, penne or fusilli.
To make the dish even more budget friendly, substitute the sun-dried tomatoes for a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes instead.
This is a great recipe for a make-ahead lunch as it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It may need a splash of water when reheating to loosen.
