Creamy Vegan Pasta with Lemon, Spinach & Chickpeas (Easy Dinner Idea!)
Creamy vegan pasta with lemon, spinach, and chickpeas brings plant-based comfort to your dinner table. Ready in 30 minutes, packed with protein and fiber, and made with simple ingredients—it’s a family-friendly crowd-pleaser!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
12 oz (340g) pasta (penne, fusilli, spaghetti, or gluten-free)
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon (juice + zest)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup unsweetened plant milk (almond, soy, or oat)
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh parsley or basil, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in skillet over medium. Add onion; sauté until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add chickpeas; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Set aside half for topping.
- In blender, combine reserved chickpeas, nutritional yeast, ¼ cup plant milk, half the lemon juice/zest, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
- Return mixture to skillet; add plant milk, remaining lemon juice/zest, and spinach. Cook until spinach wilts.
- Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Toss until pasta is creamy and fully coated, adding more milk if needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with reserved chickpeas, herbs, and pepper flakes.
Notes
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Use gluten-free pasta for allergy needs.
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Increase spinach for extra greens; sub with baby kale or arugula.
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For added zest, sprinkle vegan parmesan or extra lemon juice.
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Store leftovers in fridge; sauce may thicken, just add a splash of milk when reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Find it online: https://veganrecepies.com/vegan-pasta-dinner-ideas/