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Chickpeas and pasta with wilted baby spinach in a white serving bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Quick Spicy Garlic Spinach Pasta with Chickpeas (Ceci)

Chickpeas and Pasta is a nutritious and delicious meatless pasta dish that combines chickpeas, baby spinach, and ditalini pasta into a vegetarian side dish or main meal in just 15 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course Pasta, pasta side
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 548kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces ditalini pasta cooked al dente
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more for sprinkling
  • 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 14 oz ceci (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
  • cup pecorino romano cheese freshly grated more for sprinkling on top.

Instructions

  • Cook ditalini according to package directions. Set aside.
  • Be sure to save ½ cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil and add butter.
  • Stir in the garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes.
  • Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the spinach and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir cooking until the spinach wilts.
  • Stir in the chickpeas. Mix in the cooked pasta and the ⅓ cup of cheese until combined.
  • Serve immediately with extra red pepper flakes and grated cheese.

Notes

TIPS: 
  • It's best to serve the Chickpea pasta immediately with extra red pepper flakes and grated cheese.
  • Reheat the leftover chickpea pasta with garlic and herbs in the microwave or a saucepan over medium-low heat. 
  • I usually shave off about 2 minutes of the recommended cooking time for the pasta on the packaging so that I don’t go beyond the al dente texture. The pasta will continue to cook when stirred in with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Opt for low-sodium canned chickpeas if you’re watching your sodium levels, or just make sure to drain and rinse the canned chickpeas properly. 
  • Use some of the saved pasta water to reheat the dish if necessary without diluting the flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 915mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8198IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 6mg