Creamy Roast Cauliflower & Chickpea Pasta

Name: Creamy Roast Cauliflower & Chickpea Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Italian, vegan
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small cauliflower; 4 tablespoons grated vegan smoked cheese (or cheddar); 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard; 4 tablespoons vegan creme fraiche; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 250ml (1 cup) oat milk (or your regular milk); salt and pepper; 400g (14 oz) tin chickpeas, drained (drained weight 240g/8 1/2 oz); 160g (5 1/2 oz) sugar snap peas (snow peas); 180g (6 1/3 oz) fine beans; 400g farfalle (bow tie) pasta

in blender recipe, cauliflower, chickpeas, pasta - 26 comments

An incredibly easy creamy pasta sauce made with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and served with green vegetables for a nice contrast.

CREAMY ROAST CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA PASTA

A creamy roast cauliflower & chickpea pasta that's super easy to make and tastes great.

The cauliflower is roasted then whizzed up in a blender or food processor into a creamy sauce with chickpeas.

I like to serve it with fine beans and sugar snap peas, which are also known as snow peas.

It's a really comforting bowl of pasta.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROAST CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA PASTA

There are no fancy ingredients in this dish and it's super easy to make. Here's what you need:

EQUIPMENT

BAKING TRAY - for roasting the cauliflower
BLENDER - or either a food processor or electric stick blender to whizz up the sauce
LARGE POT - to cook the pasta and veg
COLANDER - to drain the pasta and veg

INGREDIENTS

CAULIFLOWER
VEGAN SMOKED CHEESE - or you can use a vegan cheddar, just use the cheese you usually buy, be that vegan or not
NUTRITIONAL YEAST
DIJON MUSTARD - make sure it's suitable for vegans, some brands are not, although most are ok
GARLIC
OAT MILK - or your regular milk
CREME FRAICHE - we use Oatly creme fraiche, if you can't find creme fresh you could use sour cream or cream cheese and a little bit more milk
SALT & PEPPER
CHICKPEAS - I used tinned chickpeas for convenience
PASTA
FINE BEANS
SUGAR SNAP PEAS

CAULIFLOWER

I used a small head of cauliflower for this sauce, but you could use a larger cauliflower.

Using a larger cauliflower means you will end up with more sauce and may need to add a bit more milk.

If I was using a large cauliflower, I would set aside a few of the roasted florets to add to the pasta as I served it and whizz up the rest into a sauce.

SERVING CAULIFLOWER TO FUSSY KIDS

My son loved cauliflower in cheese sauce when he was wee, but decided (as they do), he didn't like cauliflower a few years ago and nothing will change his mind.

This recipe is a fabulous way to make sure he is still getting some cauliflower, which is so nutritious, in his diet.

I know it's sneaking it in, but sometimes we do what we need to do to keep them topped up with the good stuff.

If your child is not keen on the fine beans or sugar snap peas I added to this pasta before serving, you could add more child-friendly veg before serving.

If they like broccoli you could cook that with the pasta, or you could keep it simple with corn, peas and some chopped cherry tomatoes.

Tweak it to suit your child.

Another great way to serve cauliflower is this delicious and easy cauliflower soup with white beans or these cheesy cauliflower steaks.

VEGAN SMOKED CHEESE

I don't add a lot of cheese to this pasta, but adding a little really helps with the flavour of the sauce.

I used vegan smoked applewood cheese, which now comes grated in a convenient re-sealable bag.

It's probably cheaper to buy a block and grate it but I find this handy to have in the fridge.

If you are a vegetarian, feel free to use the standard smoked applewood cheese or another smoked cheese.

Can't find smoked cheese? Just use cheddar or vegan cheddar.

DO I HAVE TO ADD NUTRITIONAL YEAST?

No, you don't have to add nutritional yeast to this sauce, but it does help with the cheesy flavour.

I also like to add it to dishes when I can as it's a good source of Vitamin B12, which can be hard to include in your diet.

If you can't find it (most supermarkets sell it now), you can skip it and add more cheese instead.

Wondering what nutritional yeast is?

Nutritional yeast, also known as nooch, is a savoury flavoured yeast flake that introduces an almost cheesy flavour. ]

Don't worry, it's an inactive yeast.

WHICH TYPE OF PASTA SHOULD I USE?

Farfalle pasta (bow tie) pasta is a fun pasta to use for this dish, but it would work well with so many different types of pasta.

The creamy sauce coats the pasta beautifully.

Here are a few pasta shapes you could try with this healthy pasta sauce.

CONCHIGLIE - shell pasta
FARFALLE - bow tie pasta
FUSILLI - pasta twists
PENNE - tubular pasta
RIGATONI - tubular pasta (larger than penne)
SPAGHETTI - strands of pasta

COOKING VEGETABLES WITH PASTA

Vegetables can be cooked in the same water as the pasta as it cooks.

If you're cooking pasta, it should be in a large pot with lots of boiling, salted water, so there should be plenty of room to add vegetables to cook at the same time.

It means fewer pots and less washing up, which I am always a fan of.

Just add the vegetables at the right time, so they cook until they are al dente (have a bit of bite), you don't want soggy veg.

CAN I USE DIFFERENT VEGETABLES?

Yes, once you have made the sauce, you can change the vegetables you serve with the pasta every time.

I added fine beans and sugar snap peas (also known as snow peas).

Here are a few more ideas for vegetables you can add to this pasta.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS & BROCCOLI - added at the end
CARROTS & PEAS - cooked with the pasta
CORN & CHERRY TOMATOES - add the corn to the cooking pasta for the last couple of minutes to warm through, then add the cherry tomatoes when you are mixing the sauce through the pasta
SPINACH AND PEAS - add both to the cooking pasta right at the end
MUSHROOMS - sauteed in a little olive oil with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper, added when you serve the pasta up

DON'T THROW AWAY ALL THE PASTA WATER!

You might not think about the pasta water as you pour it down the drain while you are draining the pasta.

Pay attention to it. It's fabulous stuff.

Towards the end of cooking carefully scoop some out with a glass or jug, then add it to pasta sauce before you serve it.

It helps to thin sauces but also makes a sauce gloriously silky.

I scoop out at the end of cooking, when the starch from the pasta has seeped in the water, in a short glass, then add it a bit at a time to my cooked sauce until it is just right.

It's a great tip and one Italian chefs swear by.

MORE PASTA TIPS

Here are a few more tips for the best pasta:

Cook pasta in a large pot with a lot of rapidly boiling water.
Salt the water.
Don't add oil, the pasta won't stick together if you are cooking it in a big enough pot, with plenty of rapidly boiling water and you give it a stir as you add it.
Give it a couple of stirs while it is cooking to help it along.
Only cook until al dente (with a bit of firmness). Check the packet instructions and check the pasta a minute before the packet suggests.
Scoop out some of the pasta sauce in a glass or jug to add to your sauce to make it silky or to thin it. Add a glug at a time until your sauce is just right.
Drain the pasta in a colander, give a good shake, then return to the pan.
Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well to coat.
Serve right away while hot.

TWEAKS FOR THIS PASTA DISH

Here are a couple of changes you might like to try when making this pasta.

Once I whizzed up the cheesy cauliflower sauce, I added the chickpeas and whizzed them into the sauce, but you could just mix the whole chickpeas (I use tinned) into the sauce, without blending them.

You can also add some chilli flakes or paprika to the sauce for a bit of a kick.

MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES TO TRY

Here are a few more of my favourite pasta dishes for you to try:

Jamie Style Tomato & Aubergine Pasta
Quick Green Spaghetti
Quick Macaroni Salad
Roasted Ratatouille & Cherry Tomato Pasta
Spinach & Cream Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells (slow cooker recipe)

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An incredibly easy creamy pasta sauce made with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and served with green vegetables for a nice contrast.

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HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER CHICKPEA PASTA

Scroll down for step-by-step photos followed by a full printable recipe. If you don't have a printer, hit print then save as a PDF.

STEP 1

Preheat the oven
Break the cauliflower into florets and spread out on a baking tray.
Drizzle with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast.
Once it is charred at the edges and soft, add to your blender or food processor and pop the pasta on to cook.

STEP 2

Now to make the sauce.
Add the cheese, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, creme fraiche (see tips above for substitutes), milk, salt and pepper to the cauliflower in the blender jug.
Whizz until fairly smooth.

STEP 3

Add the chickpeas (I used tinned chickpeas) and whizz until fairly smooth. It looks super thick, but we will be adding some of the pasta water.

STEP 4

Add the fine beans and sugar snap peas towards the end of cooking time, to cook with the pasta.
Before draining the pasta, scoop out some pasta water with a glass or jug. Be careful not to scald yourself.
Pour some of the water into the sauce (not too much)and stir in, until it is silky.
Drain the pasta and veg, return to the pan and add the sauce and mix well.
Serve (you can top with vegan parmesan or more vegan smoked cheese if you like) and enjoy!

pasta,. creamy pasta, vegan pasta, cauliflower pasta, cauliflower pasta sauce, blender pasta sauce, cauliflower and chickpea pasta

dinner

Italian, vegan

Yield: 4-6

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum