Channa masala has been making chickpeas taste better since long before I can remember. So I thought, how would it taste with chickpea pasta? The answer is, pretty darn delicious!
I modified this classic creamy curry to reduce some of the strong Indian flavor and supplemented with subtle Italian spices to create the perfect fusion sauce. It pairs perfectly with Banza’s chickpea cavatappi pasta!
Banza’s chickpea pasta plus additional chickpeas and a flavor loaded sauce makes this dish packed with plant based protein and a whole lot of yum! Omit the cheese or replace with vegan cheese and this pasta is completely vegan! Major win.
Note: This post is not sponsored by Banza. However, they did send me some samples of their chickpea pasta to try. As a result, this is one of the recipes that I came up with!
Chickpea Masala Cavatappi
Cuisine: Italian, Indian, Fusion4
servings20
minutes20
minutes350
kcalA fusion pasta dish inspired by the classic North Indian Chickpea Masala Curry
Ingredients
One 8 oz box Banza Cavatappi chickpea pasta (cooked per package instructions)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2/3 cup dry chickpeas)
- Masala Paste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 medium yellow onions (roughly chopped)
2 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup water
- Chickpea Masala Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Chana/Chhole Masala
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Salt to taste
Optional garnishes: grated cheese (Mozzarella or Parmesan), finely chopped cilantro, and/ or halved cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook 1 box ( 8 oz) of Banza Cavatappi chickpea pasta per package directions. Drain the water and keep aside.
- Cook 2/3 cup dry chickpeas in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to get 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (see “Notes” section below for cooking instructions). Alternatively, you can use a 16 oz can ( 2 cups) of cooked chickpeas. Keep aside.
- Make the Masala Paste
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in sauté pan at a medium flame.
- Add 4 cloves garlic. Sauté till aromatic.
- Add 2 medium yellow onions (roughly chopped). Sauté till translucent.
- Then, add 2 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped).
- Cook covered for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to release oil from the sides and become mushy. Take off flame and keep aside. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, soak 1/4 cup cashews in 1/2 cup water for 5 min. Then, blend smooth to a paste.
- To the same blender, add the cooled tomato and onion mixture. Blend smooth. There should be enough moisture to blend, but add a bit more water if required.
- Make the Chickpea Masala Sauce
- In the same sauté pan, heat another 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Add 1 bay leaf and let it become aromatic.
- Then, pour in the blended masala mixture.
- Next, add the cooked chickpeas.
- Before you mix the chickpeas , add 1 tbsp channa masala, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp red chili flakes, and salt to taste. Then mix well.
- Let cook covered until the sauce starts to bubble. Add more salt if required.
- Then add in the chickpea pasta (cooked and drained).
- Let cook for a few minutes and then take off flame. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and/ or grated cheese on top! I added a few halved cherry tomatoes as well. Enjoy hot! 😋
Notes
- I created this recipe specifically to pair with Banza’s Chickpea Cavatappi. However, you can use this same recipe with any brand of chickpea pasta. It would taste great with regular pasta as well.
- If you are cooking your chickpeas, I would suggest you soak them overnight in enough water to completely cover them. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook at medium heat for 5 whistles. If cooking in an Instant Pot, cook soaked chickpeas for 10-15 min or dry chickpeas for 35-40 min.
- You can find Chana/ Chhole Masala in Indian Grocery Stores or in the Indian Section of many standard Grocery Stores, or online here. Alternatively, you can use Garam Masala.
- This is a fun fusion recipe that I came up with. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: This recipe is Vegan if you omit the cheese or replace with Vegan cheese. 🙂
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
