So it’s time again for another warming comfort food dinner.. aka PASTA. Growing up, I was a complete pasta fiend and would be tucking into a delicious bowl of the stuff at least twice a week. My mum used to make us a vast selection of tasty pasta dishes, but carbonara and those indulgent creamy sauces were definitely my favourites! These would have been extremely far from vegan meals, but this recipe however, is completely plant based!
Despite there being no actual cream or dairy products involved, this sauce is super rich, creamy and so so delicious! It’s made in pretty much the same way that you would make a regular creamy/white sauce, apart from I’ve switched up the butter for coconut oil and used gluten free oats flour. Oh.. I’ve also then used dairy free milk (coconut) to keep the recipe vegan. Along with a good seasoning and then a little pinch of nutmeg, this would give you your basic white sauce base; I’ve then added in some nutritional yeast to give it that extra hint of rich, cheese flavour.. and then a little pinch of turmeric for that gorgeous golden colour!
The crispy chickpea topping is a recipe that I’ve been meaning to post for quite some time now, as you guys have been asking for it every time I post a photo with them over on Instagram. They’re actually pretty quick and simple to make and are such a tasty topping for salads, soups, pastas or to just eat on their own as a snack. There are two methods that I tend to use to make these; either by baking them or just cooking them off in a frying pan with a bunch of spices. You can customise the recipe and add in whichever flavours and spices that you’d like to create different taste combinations. My personal favourite is a kinda’ sweet, smokey flavour with lots of smoked paprika- which in case you didn’t know, is one of my most favourite spices! .. That and turmeric of course (which I literally add to everything nowadays!)
For the pasta part of the dish, I tend to use gluten free because that’s just what I always have in the house, but feel free to use whichever type of pasta you prefer. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I really find that it can be so hit and miss with GF pastas with both flavours and texture. I feel like some of them have a slightly more mushy texture once cooked, in comparison to regular pasta, so I’d recommend just trying out a few different types to find one that you love.
Creamy Turmeric Pasta With Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 Servings of your favourite Pasta
Chickpeas:
- 3/4 cup chickpeas- drained and rinsed
- 2 Tsp olive oil
- Pinch sea salt & pepper
- Tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch turmeric
- Pinch cumin
- Chilli Flakes- optional
Pasta Sauce:
- Tsp coconut oil
- 3 Tsp oat flour
- 1 cup non-dairy milk I used coconut
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 clove garlic- crushed
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch ground turmeric
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add in your chickpeas and all of the spices and sauté these, so that they're evenly coated in the spice mixture. Continue to cook until nice and crisp.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, then drain most of the water once cooked.
- Meanwhile, for the pasta sauce, gently heat the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low heat, then stir in the flour to create a roux.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 1/3 of the milk until you can no longer see any lumps.
- Pour in the rest of the milk and return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer whilst stirring.
- Add in the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric,nutmeg and nutritional yeast and continue to stir whilst the sauce thickens. You can add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick. Adjust any seasonings to taste.
- Pour the sauce over your pasta and toss everything together.
- Serve and top with your crispy chickpeas and some fresh herbs to garnish.
