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Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Bake

March 24, 2021 by Allison 2 Comments

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This vegetarian Mediterranean chickpea pasta bake is an easy weeknight meal, with lots of vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and chickpeas mixed with pasta and topped with cheese. 

a straight on shot of a serving of the chickpea pasta bake being scooped up out of the serving dish

How is your week going? Pasta is one of my favourite Wednesday dinners, as it’s fun yet quite easy to prepare. This chickpea pasta bake is a variation on a weeknight supper that my mom made quite often when we were kids. It’s a staple that I hope you enjoy as much as our family does. 

the inspiration 

I love pasta, I love casseroles, and I love Mediterranean ingredients such as chickpeas, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs. So, I combined the three together into a hearty vegetarian pasta bake. It’s a nice dish to enjoy in these early days of spring, especially when it’s cool and rainy. Serve it with a green salad topped with the nutritional yeast dressing from this recipe, and perhaps some fresh sourdough baguette and butter, to complete the meal. 

an overhead shot of two bowls of chickpea pasta bake and the large pan of the casserole on a blue backdrop

ingredients you’ll need

This chickpea pasta bake calls for the following ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper, spinach or kale, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, sea salt, pepper, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, chickpeas, pasta sauce, rotini, and mozzarella cheese. 

straight on close up shot of chickpea pasta bake on a blue backdrop

how to make 

Begin by warming the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for three more minutes. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, another pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano, basil, chili flakes, and spinach or kale. Cook just until the spinach is bright green and wilted. Add the chickpeas and pasta sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn down heat to medium-low and cover. Keep stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil. 

Cook the rotini according to the instructions on the package. Drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir gently to combine. 

Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Top with the grated cheese and bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Serve! 

an overhead shot of the chickpea pasta bake before being topped with cheese and being baked

overhead shot of the pasta bake before it goes into the oven

overhead shot of the pasta bake fresh out of the oven

straight on horizontal shot of the pasta bake being scooped out of the pan right before serving

an overhead shot of the pasta bake in a pink bowl

some final thoughts, suggestions, and tips

If you want to make a vegan pasta bake, top with your favourite vegan shredded cheese, soft cashew cheese, tofu ricotta, or sweet potato cashew cheese sauce. 

You can use any type of bean or lentil in place of the chickpeas. White beans, kidney beans, black beans, and lentils are all great. 

This recipe is really forgiving, so you can use any shape of pasta and any combination of vegetables that you have on hand. 

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days and reheated at 350 degrees F for ten minutes. You can always add some more pasta sauce when you reheat it to moisten it up. 

more healthy pasta recipes

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

I hope that you love this Mediterranean chickpea pasta bake! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy! 🙂

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a straight on shot of a serving of the chickpea pasta bake being scooped up out of the serving dish

Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Bake


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Allison
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This vegetarian Mediterranean chickpea pasta bake is an easy weeknight meal, with lots of vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and chickpeas mixed with pasta and topped with cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 large bunch kale or spinach, de-stemmed and chopped (4 heaping cups)
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 14-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
  • 750 mL your favourite pasta sauce (use more if you like it more “saucy”)
  • 4 cups uncooked rotini, fusilli, or penne
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Begin by warming the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for three more minutes. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, another pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano, basil, chili flakes, and spinach or kale. Cook just until the spinach is bright green and wilted. Add the chickpeas and pasta sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn down heat to medium-low and cover. Keep stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
  3. Cook the rotini according to the instructions on the package. Drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir gently to combine.
  4. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Top with the grated cheese and bake for 18-20 minutes.
  5. Serve!
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Mediterranean chickpea pasta bake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

P.S. Happy spring from me to you! 

Allison standing on a sidewalk in shorts and a tank top

 

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Filed Under: Cozy Recipes, High Protein, Pasta, Recipes, Supper, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John

    March 28, 2021 at 4:40 pm

    My family loved this pasta dish. Now on my list to make frequently.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 28, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you- I really appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed this pasta bake.

      Reply

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