Lemony Pasta With Chickpeas and Parsley
Updated August 17, 2025
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Kosher salt, as needed
8 ounces regular or whole-wheat fusilli or other short, sturdy pasta
2 cups cooked chickpeas, home-cooked or canned
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½ onion, diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus more as needed
1 ½ cups chickpea cooking liquid (from a homemade pot; do not use the liquid from the can), vegetable stock or water
3 cups fresh parsley leaves (from 1 large bunch)
⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Ground black pepper to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
153 grams carbs; 49 milligrams cholesterol; 1284 calories; 27 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 52 grams fat; 24 grams fiber; 1342 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein; 14 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add fusilli and cook until it is just shy of al dente. (It should be slightly underdone to your taste because you’ll finish cooking it in the sauce.) Drain well.
- Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chickpea sauce: Place chickpeas in a large bowl and use a potato masher or a fork to lightly mash them; they should be about half-crushed.
- Step 3
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and fry until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in onions, rosemary, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Then stir in chickpeas and the cooking liquid, stock or water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in pasta and parsley, and cook until the pasta has finished cooking and is coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Quickly toss in cheese, butter, lemon zest, black pepper to taste and salt if needed. Drizzle with olive oil and shower with additional cheese before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
I found this a bit bland until I doubled the amount of lemon zest and then added the juice of the entire lemon and a bit of freshly ground salt. That brightened it up considerably. Get your prep done before you cook the pasta, and it all comes together very nicely.
Melissa, don't throw out the pasta water!!! That should be the liquid that thins out the chickpea mash if you are using canned chickpeas, which is what most people who want a "quick cooking dinner" will use.
I make this recipe all the time, with the added difference of adding an anchovy when sautéing the onions. It is delicious, wonderful and one of my favourite "comfort foods".
Took a lot longer than 5 minutes for liquid to reduce, but my homemade chicken stock did elevate the flavor. Also used a can of Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas with cumin/parsley just because that's what I had on hand, but it worked well.
"I made this exactly as directed, and then I added..." No you didn't. No, you didn't.
This was a hit for three adults and one toddler! I doubled the recipe, added frozen spinach and lemon juice, and did less than one bunch of parsley (which seemed like more than enough!). Next time I would use less broth/liquid if doubling the recipe.