There is no cream in this wonderfully creamy pasta dish. Just a luscious sauce made from hummus and pasta water, sautéed red onions and sliced garlic. Chopped spinach adds a little more nutrition, and fresh lemon juice and a cascade of fresh herbs added at the end are essential to brighten everything up. Adding chicken pieces and cherry tomatoes makes the dish a little more satisfying but you can absolutely leave out the meat to keep it vegan.
Why you should add hummus to pasta
Now, let’s backtrack a little. Hummus in a pasta dish? Yes, hang in there with me on this one, it’s so good it will blow your mind. I didn’t make this up, I have seen this done before but had never tried it. Recently, I tested this hummus recipe a gazillion times and suddenly found myself with a fridge-full of homemade hummus. Even after giving lots of it away, I still had tubs of it that needed to get used up. Enter this creamy hummus pasta.
For all you Fettuccini Alfredo lovers out there, this genius, much healthier, sauce will be your new go-to. Hummus — with the fortified richness of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil and tahini is already addictive. Thin it out with pasta water so the flavours mellow, then toss with your pasta of choice, and the combination is magical. The pasta gets coated with the creamy sauce and fresh flavours and it all simply works. I promise, this creamy hummus pasta will not disappoint.
Ingredients for creamy hummus pasta
You will likely have most of these ingredients on hand. But as long as you have hummus and pasta, feel free to customize it however you wish. I give you a few ideas further down below.
- Hummus: Though I would love it if you make this dish with my homemade, ultra-smooth hummus, I understand a weeknight meal is not about any from-scratch anything. Grab a good-quality tub from the store and no one will know the difference. This brand has a pretty good standard hummus that you can easily find at supermarkets.
- Pasta: I have made this with just about every pasta shape. All good. But tubular, ridged, or spiral shapes, that can catch more sauce in every nook and cranny, are my favourite.
- Red onions: You can use any onion you have on hand, but there is something about red onions in this dish that I really like.
- Garlic: I like this dish with a lot of sliced garlic. Perhaps adjust the amount depending on how much, if any, garlic the hummus you use has.
- Cooked chicken: If I have some leftover cooked chicken I will throw it in but this dish has plenty of protein from the hummus, so feel free to leave it out if you wish.
- Spinach: I like to add fresh greens to this pasta dish to make it even a little more nutritious. Swiss chard, or kale, would also be fantastic.
- Cherry tomatoes: Sweet and juicy, summer cherry tomatoes are a good in almost any pasta dish.
- Fresh lemon juice: Don’t leave it out, it really does wonders to brighten up this dish.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley, thyme, or basil, add a little green colour and bright flavours to this creamy pasta dish.
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper: I find this dish benefits from a generous sprinkling of both.
How to make easy, hummus pasta
The best part about this hearty and substantial pasta dish is how quickly, and effortlessly, it comes together. Bonus, leftovers make fantastic lunches the next day.
Here are the simple steps to make it:
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions but undercook it by 1-2 minutes of the recommended time.
- Drain and save pasta water. Right before draining the cooked pasta, scoop out 2 cups of the pasta water. You cannot make this sauce without pasta water so it is super important you remember to scoop it out before draining your pasta. TIP: To avoid forgetting, place a measuring cup right in the colander where you will be draining the pasta.
- Sauté onions and garlic: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
- Make the pasta sauce: Once you have the starchy pasta water ready, you can make the sauce. Add about 1 cup of hummus to the skillet with the onions, along with 1 cup pasta water. Mix vigorously to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust, if needed.
- Add the drained pasta. Now add the pasta to the skillet over medium-low heat. Toss gently until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Add the spinach and cherry tomatoes and toss again. If the sauce seems too thick, add a few more splashes of pasta water to thin it out a bit.
- Finish with lemon juice and herbs. Before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice and fresh herbs. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle a few pinches of flaky salt and black pepper, if desired.
TIP: Make it a one-pot dish: Though you save a bit of time using two pans, you can easily make this pasta dish using only one pot. Drain the cooked pasta (reserve some of that water!) then prepare your sauce in the same pot, adding the cooked pasta back in once the sauce is finished.
Variations
In Fall and Winter, when sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes are gone, I will make this creamy hummus pasta with sautéed sundried tomatoes from a jar. To keep the dish vegan, omit the chicken and serve as is, or add cubes of crispy tofu or roasted broccoli florets – so good. The pasta is also delicious with thickly-sliced, and sautéed, cremini mushrooms.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it encourages you to explore around my site for more quick weeknight dinner ideas. This Chicken Pepper Stir-Fry is a favourite in our home, and currently the most popular on my blog. This Pasta with Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash is another weeknight go-to and I can’t wait to make it with delicata squash instead of zucchini.
Creamy Hummus Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta any shape works
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive Oil plus more to drizzle
- 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced or yellow cooking onion
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1-2 cups cooked chicken cubed or sliced (optional)
- 1 cup homemade hummus or store-bought
- 2 cups pasta water
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 cups baby spinach or Swiss chard, or kale (deveined and roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or thyme
- flaky salt to finish, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions but undercook it by 1-2 minutes of the recommended time. The pasta will continue to cook a little more in the skillet.
- Right before draining the pasta, scoop out 2 cups of the pasta water. TIP: To avoid forgetting, place a measuring cup right in the colander where you will be draining the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
- Add the hummus along with 1 cup pasta water. Using a spatula, mix vigorously to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust, if needed.
- Add the pasta to the skillet. Toss gently and cook until the pasta is heated and well coated with the sauce, for 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and cherry tomatoes and toss again. If the sauce seems too thick, add a few more splashes of pasta water to thin it out a bit.
- Sprinkle in the lemon juice and fresh herbs. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of oilve oil, if desired.
Notes
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