Vegan Avocado Pasta with Parmesan-Roasted Chickpeas

This vegan avocado pasta with parmesan-roasted chickpeas consists of a creamy sauce made with avocado, lots of lemon, garlic, and herbs, and chickpeas that are roasted and tossed with cashew parmesan. You’ll love this comforting yet seasonal pasta dish!

My heart is heavy with grief, sadness, and shock over the events that unfolded in Nova Scotia on Saturday and Sunday. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what went on and my heart goes out to all affected by this senseless and incomprehensible tragedy. In times like these, I feel at a loss for words, and it’s quite challenging to just go on writing blog posts in my typical happy-go-lucky style. All throughout the day on Sunday, I felt sick to my stomach and deeply sad that such a thing could happen, especially in such a safe, quiet, and peaceful part of the country.

I don’t know how to appropriately preface this recipe; indeed, I do not feel it is appropriate, given the circumstances, to attempt to lighten the mood here in any way. All that I will say is that in times of grief or despair, it can be cathartic to gather around the table with loved ones over a meal. Hopefully today I can be of service by sharing a recipe that is nourishing and soothing to those experiencing grief and sadness. Because even though you might not feel much like eating, we must continue to nourish our bodies and souls in times like these.

This vegan avocado pasta is creamy, tangy, and garlicky. It’s full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, and the crispy parmesan chickpea topping adds a boost of protein and textural contrast. It’s a great meal for weeknights, given how quickly it can be thrown together. It has quickly become my dad’s favourite pasta recipe, one that he requests every week.

to make this vegan avocado pasta, you’ll:

1. Make cashew parmesan.
2. Roast some chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper. In the final few minutes, add some cashew parmesan.
3. Whip up the avocado sauce by blending together avocados, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, nutritional yeast, and olive oil in a food processor until smooth.
4. Cook some pasta.
5. Either stir the avocado sauce directly into the pasta, or spoon the sauce onto individual portions. I prefer the latter method, since I find that the pasta absorbs the sauce quite quickly, though I photographed using the former method. Top with the parmesan-roasted chickpeas!

a few final thoughts

• If you don’t love a super tangy/lemony sauce, I would recommend using a little bit less lemon juice and replacing it with some extra water. 
• The parmesan-roasted chickpeas are also delicious on top of salads. You could even make a hearty wrap or pita with the avocado sauce, some roasted vegetables, and the roasted chickpeas for a different way to enjoy this recipe! 

more vegan pasta recipes

• Vegan Date Night Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
• Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Pasta (With Chickpea Flour)
• Cilantro Jalapeno Avocado Pesto Pasta with Corn and Beans

I hope that you enjoy this vegan avocado pasta, and that it provides some comfort in these heart-wrenching times. Let me know how you enjoyed it in the comments, and tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen if you post a photo to Instagram.