Creamy Rosemary Chickpea Pasta

It's really cold in DC and I was searching for a hearty pasta meal to make at home. My tolerance for hours in the kitchen is waning, so it also needed to be quick and easy. I found all of those things in the Creamy Rosemary Chickpea Pasta recipe in the Pure & Beautiful Vegan Cooking by Kathleen Henry. This is a hearty and tasty pasta dish made with chickpeas, vegan sausage, and fresh rosemary. By using the chickpea liquid, which some now call aquafaba, it helped thicken the sauce and bring heartiness to this pasta dish. Also, the addition of vegan sausages gave it some extra flavor that complemented the nutritional yeast cheesiness and fresh rosemary. This dish is best consumed fresh.

Creamy Rosemary Chickpea Pasta
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans of chickpeas, liquid saved from draining
• 1 lb pasta shells, dry
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage vegan sausages or equivalent, chopped
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 Tbsp large flake nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley

Instructions

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta shells. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package for al dente pasta, about 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the garlic and saute about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the sausage and fry until it becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage and garlic to a bowl and set aside.

Add the chickpea liquid, about 1 1/3 cups, to the saucepan. If you don't have that much liquid, add water or vegetable broth to make up the difference. Add 2 cups chickpeas to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Transfer to a blender.

Add the soy sauce, black pepper, rosemary, and nutritional yeast to the blender or food processor. Blend on high for about 1 minute, until smooth. Return to saucepan and add the remaining whole chickpeas. Smooth them slightly with the back of a wooden spoon.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain but reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside the liquid and return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce to the pasta along with the parsley, garlic, and sausage. Stir to coat and allow to sit about 3 to 5 minutes while the pasta soaks up the sauce. At this time, if the pasta needs additional creaminess, add the reserved pasta water and stir well. Serve hot.