Turmeric Pasta with Chickpeas – Vegan Pasta Salad – Quick and Easy

Pasta with Chickpeas (pasta e ceci) is such an easy dish to find at the Italian family weeknight table, and this Vegan Turmeric Pasta with Chickpeas is my easiest and yet more inspired version.

We have the tanginess of the olives, smoke from the tofu, a little bitterness from the leaves and all the hearty taste from the filling chickpeas.

Only a few ingredients, but all with strong flavours and very quick to prepare, transport and store.

Almost forgot about the Turmeric, it makes the gluten-free nutritious dish even healthier and adds such a nice color that you’d be adding it to all your pastas.

The Ingredients

• Pasta: I use corn and rice flour Penne, but any short pasta will work.
• Tofu: smoked! I’m sure the pasta salad would taste amazing with some nice marinated flavour but that would be another recipe altogether.
• Chickpeas: already cooked al dente. As we are going for a quick and easy vegan meal here I am using a can, well drained and rinsed.

(Cooking yours? My go-to guide to soaking legumes from WholeLifestyleNutrition).

• Turmeric: powder.
• Olives: greens and black. I even mix a few varieties. Here in Italy they usually add them whole to the dishes but I use pitted greens and the blacks I even chop roughly.
• Arugula/Rocket: or any other bitter leaves, such as radicchio, watercress, etc.
• Oil: good extra virgin olive oil.
• Basil: dried. You can use basil flavoured olive oil instead. (They are a great option for pasta salads, to revive them after the fridge.)
• Salt: to taste.
• Pepper: black, to taste.

How to Make Turmeric Pasta with Chickpeas

And just like that your nutritious and delicious vegan dinner is ready.

Or an amazing lunchbox treat ready to be packed.

Want to impress at a picnic? You will!

Allow me to share another couple of pasta salads that are eaquelly healthy, easy and delicious.

I’m talking about my Pumpkin Pasta Salad and Italian Caponata Pasta Salad.

I really hope you get to know this recipe, being it your first time having Pasta and Chickpeas or if you are already a fan looking for new combinations.

With gratitude,

Carol🌶

Vegan Turmeric Pasta Salad – Quick and Easy Eggplant and Chickpeas

Recipe by Carol MarsolaCourse: Main, SidesCuisine: Vegan, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

Vegan Turmeric Pasta with Chickpeas is my easiest yet more inspired version of the staple Italian family dinner Pasta e Ceci. Full of flavor.

Ingredients

• 5,3 oz short Pasta

• 1 can cooked Chickpeas (8,4 oz)

• 2,6 oz Smoked Tofu

• 2,6 oz mixed pitted Olives halved and some chopped

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder

• 1 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• 
  bunch of Arugula

Directions

• We start by bringing salted water to a boil.
  Only then we add the Turmeric and after stirring we add the past too.
  Cook as per instructions until cooked but firm.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it, put it in a bowl, add half of the olive oil, stir and let it cool. No need to rinse the pasta.
• When it is cold, add the olives, the tofu in flakes, the chickpeas, some ground pepper, dried basil, the remaining oil and mix everything. Taste to see if anymore salt is needed.
• Lastly, we add the arugula and mix gently.

Notes

• Please check The Ingredients section of the post for possible substitutions.
• The pasta salad does last for about 3 days in the fridge.