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Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, & Crispy Chickpeas

A deliciously savory and umami-filled pasta made with sweet caramelized onions, mushrooms, and tender & crispy chickpeas.

Course Main Course
Keyword caramelized onion, mushroom, and chickpea pasta, easy vegan dinner recipe, healthy dinner recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 5 servings
Author Taavi Moore

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. crimini mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • Dash of red pepper flakes
  • ½ 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup roughly chopped, oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
  • ½ cup pasta water
  • 1 heaping cup spinach
  • 8 oz. dry rigatoni
  • (Optional) Nutritional yeast for serving

Crispy Chickpeas

  • ½ 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and ½ tsp kosher salt. Cook onions for 40-45 min, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden brown, and reduced in volume. Stovetops vary with their distribution of heat, so adjust temperature if your onions start to char because you don't want that!

  2. While onions are caramelizing, prepare the crispy chickpeas. Preheat the oven to 425℉. Add ½ the can of chickpeas to a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

  3. While chickpeas and onions are still cooking, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (about 9 minutes or according to pkg directions). Reserve ⅓ cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.

  4. Once onions are caramelized, add garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 8-10 min. until mushrooms are light golden brown, soft, and have lost most of their moisture.

  5. Stir in tomato paste, dried herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and a tbsp of water to deglaze the pan, if needed. Cook until tomato paste deepens in color and herbs are fragrant. Pour in the other ½ can of chickpeas and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until chickpeas are tender and warmed through.

  6. Add reserved pasta water and cook for 3-4 min. until sauce slightly thickens and starts to coat chickpeas. Add spinach and pasta. Cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach has wilted down. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. I added about ¾ tsp kosher salt.

  7. Serve with a dash of nutritional yeast and freshly cracked black pepper.