Pasta Salad With Chickpeas and Broccolini
This flavorful pasta salad with chickpeas and broccolini is anything but boring. This colorful dish brings together raw and sautéed veggies and pasta in a deliciously spiced, creamy coconut milk sauce, and it is ready in less than 20 minutes.
This is a unique pasta salad as it is a mix of cooked and uncooked veggies united in a creamy, thick, well-spiced dairy-free sauce. The combination of smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes gives this pasta salad plenty of flavor without requiring a complicated dressing.
It comes together quickly and makes an easy lunch or light dinner. It is also perfect recipe to meal prep for a couple of meals.
A Quick Glance at this Pasta Salad With Chickpeas and Broccolini:
- It is quick and easy: The vegetables and sauce can be prepped and sautéed in 20 minutes. Even quicker if you use pre-chopped veggies.
- This vegetarian dish is packed with fiber, nutrients, and plant protein: Broccolini, carrots, celery, peas, peppers, chickpeas, and red onion add plenty of color and texture too.
- So flavorful yet uses pantry-staple spices and ingredients.
- Creamy without a traditional mayonnaise dressing: Coconut milk keeps this dairy-free.
Ingredients
- Pasta
I used a low-carb penne pasta, but you can use any pasta. For extra protein, use some chickpea pasta or protein pasta. If you are avoiding gluten, then a gluten-free pasta would work. And, if you want this to make this so pretty, use some farfalle instead. - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Onion
I used half of a red onion as it adds a bit more color to this. But yellow onion would work as well. - Garlic cloves
Fresh garlic adds the best flavor to this. However, if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. - Vegetables
I used a combination of sautéed carrots, sautéed broccolini, fresh celery, frozen peas, and baby bell peppers. But these can be substituted with what you might have on hand; a combination of cauliflower, broccoli, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fennel stalks, arugula, and zucchini would work as well. - Spices
I kept it simple and used a combination of smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. - Coconut milk
Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk for creaminess. - Canned Chickpeas
These add a nice protein boost to this meal. - Salt and black pepper
- Totally optional would be some parsley or some other fresh herbs to garnish this chickpea pasta salad with.
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta
Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside. You should have approximately 3½ cups of cooked pasta.
2. Sauté the veggies
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped broccolini and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. For this dish, I like to have cook the broccolini a little less than I did in this harissa broccolini. Peel and chop the carrots, then add them to the skillet. Cover and cook for approximately 4 minutes, or until the carrots begin to become tender.
4. Make the sauce
Uncover the skillet and add the smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then, drain, rinse, and drain the chickpeas and add them in as well. Pour in the coconut milk and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so the spices and coconut milk coat the vegetables. Remove the skillet from the heat.
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5. Unite the Fresh Veggies
Rinse and chop the celery, red onion, and red bell peppers. Thaw out the peas in a bowl. Then, add all these to a large bowl. Add the sauteed veggies and cooked pasta.
6. Toss and season
Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. If you have some parsley around, garnish this with some parsley.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Tips for the Best Pasta Salad
Don’t overcook the broccolini. A quick sauté keeps it tender while preserving some texture.
Let the pasta drain well. Excess water can dilute the coconut milk sauce and make the finished salad less flavorful.
Adjust the spice level. Red pepper flakes add heat, so reduce the amount for a milder pasta salad or add more if you like a spicy kick.
Taste before serving. I don’t usually add an amount of salt or black pepper as our taste preferences seem to differ greatly when it comes to the two. So, add pinch or two and taste it. Then add more as needed. It’s always easier to add more than to subtract.
What to Serve With This Pasta Salad
This pasta salad with chickpeas and broccolini works well as a light main dish or side by itself.
If you like, yu can grates some permesan cheese and sprinkle it on top of this dish.
This chickpea pasta salad can also be served along with some air-fried tofu, grilled vegetables, harissa lemon chicken, or this air fried salmon.
It also works well served cold with these salmon burgers and these chicken kabobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?
Yes. The salad can be prepared a day or two ahead of time. and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If the pasta absorbs some of the sauce while chilling, toss it with a small amount of olive oil before serving.
Can I serve this pasta salad cold?
Absolutely. This vegetable pasta salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. For a traditional cold pasta salad texture, refrigerate it before serving.
What kind of pasta works best?
Short pasta shapes are ideal. Rotini, fusilli, penne, and bow-tie pasta all work well because their shapes catch the creamy sauce and chopped vegetables. You can also use a low carb pasta (like I did), a gluten-free pasta, or protein pasta of your choice.
This unique pasta salad with chickpeas and broccolini is a simple way to turn everyday pasta and vegetables into a colorful, flavorful meal. This recipe is one I make often when we want something quick, easy, flavorful, nutrient dense, and comforting.
Ingredients
- 3½ cups cooked pasta (I used protein pasta)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces broccolini (1 package)
- 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 2 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- ½ red onion chopped (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup peas
- 3 red baby bell peppers chopped, or 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can (15.5 oz) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- OPTIONAL: Parsley or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside. You should have approximately 3½ cups of cooked pasta.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped broccolini and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Peel and chop the carrots, then add them to the skillet. Lower the heat a bit. Cover and cook for approximately 4 minutes, or until the carrots begin to become tender.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Uncover the skillet and add the smoked paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas.
- Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so the spices and coconut milk coat the vegetables. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Rinse and chop the celery, red onion, and red bell peppers. Thaw out the peas by placing them in a bowl. Then, add all these to a large bowl. Add the sautéed veggies and cooked pasta to the fresh veggies.
- Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. If you have some parsley around, garnish this with some parsley.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
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