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This hummus pasta recipe is super creamy, quick to put together and very customizable, making it a perfect vegetarian weeknight meal. The hummus lightens up the dish for what would usually use cream.
I'm all about pasta - from easy fettuccine alfredo to spicy rigatoni to weeknight bolognese to penne al baffo to bucatini pomodoro.
But had you ever thought about using hummus as the base for a sauce? Until a couple of years ago, neither had I.
By adding some pasta water and a little lemon to the hummus, you thin it out get a creamy, almost alfredo-like sauce. And the lemon just brightens up the dish.
Add in some fresh broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes and you get a sweet-tart flavor and additional crunch.
And while this hummus pasta recipe isn't vegan as I use some Parmesan cheese, you can simply omit or use vegan cheese. Sorry I just can't have pasta without some Parmesan!
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Ingredient Notes
- Pasta - any pasta will work for this dish - from spaghetti to fusilli. I personally like riccioli and is what I used here.
- Onions - while sweet onions are my go-to, white, yellow or red onions will work as well. They all high slightly different flavors.
- Hummus - use store-bought plain hummus or make your own. I'm a fan of this white bean hummus.
Substitutions
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some swaps include:
- If you don't want to roast broccoli, you can replace with a cup of chopped spinach or kale.
- While any pasta will work, you can replace with gluten-free pasta no problem.
- Instead of sun-dried tomatoes, just add in some fresh cherry or grape tomatoes.
- I mentioned above but the Parmesan cheese isn't necessary if making this vegan. Vegan Parmesan will work too.
Variations
This hummus pasta is super tasty as is, but you can customize according to what you like.
- Spicy - while there is a pinch of chili pepper flakes, you can add more while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or diced jalapeño peppers.
- Vegan - omit the Parmesan cheese or add in vegan Parmesan.
- Kid friendly - omit the veggies and add in some chicken or ham. This is actually one of my kid's favorite pasta dishes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Bake the broccoli in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes. While it is baking, cook in onions in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute before mixing in the hummus, lemon juice, zest and pasta water.
Add the cooked pasta, cheese (if using) and toss to combined. Stir in the broccoli, basil and crushed red pepper.
FAQs
I mentioned above, but any pasta will work well with this dish. My go-to is riccioli, but spaghetti, bucatini or fusilli works too. You can even use gluten-free pasta.
Yes. Just omit the Parmesan cheese or add in some vegan Parmesan.
Pasta isn't always the best leftover as it soaks up the sauce and can clump together.
However if you want to make ahead, just make the sauce and chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it and cook the pasta when ready to eat.
Hummus pasta will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, you need to do it low and slow over low heat, which helps prevent the sauce from separating. Add a little more hummus to freshen it up.
When freezing, you need to keep the sauce separate. I wouldn't recommend freezing pasta. Frozen hummus sauce will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Cook the pasta until just al dente as the pasta will cook more when tossing in sauce.
- Use a quality store-bought hummus or make your own as it is the star.
- DO NOT skip adding pasta water as the starches from it help thicken the sauce and add flavor.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce for this hummus pasta. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this hummus pasta recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Hummus Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb pasta (riccioli)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
- 1 ½ cups plain hummus
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- juice of 1 lemon + zest
- 1 cup pasta water
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss broccoli in 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until slightly charred.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to packaged instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the hummus, lemon juice, lemon zest and about ½ cup of pasta water, and stir until a sauce forms. Transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet. Add the cheese and toss until it starts become creamy. If you need to, add a little more water to thin the sauce. Add the basil, crushed red pepper and broccoli. Serve immediately with some extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Cook the pasta until just al dente as the pasta will cook more when tossing in sauce.
- Use a quality store-bought hummus or make your own as it is the star.
- DO NOT skip adding pasta water as the starches from it help thicken the sauce and add flavor.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
haillee says
Love it! I added roasted chickpeas and collards to mine. Topped with the chickpeas and roasted pumpkin seeds. Didn't have parm so I used feta instead. Such an easy recipe! Thanks!