One of my favorite foods in the whole world is homemade pasta…

Homemade Chickpea Flour Pasta

 Most of the time, I’d be beyond thrilled to eat it just plain with a bit o’ buttah and some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Sound boring?  It is.  But it really allows the pasta to be the forerunner of the dish, rather than lurk in the background.  And in all honesty, I could live on that cheese alone. But really now…since you put in the extra effort to make homemade pasta in the first place, you don’t usually want to cover up its “homemade goodness” with a complex sauce.  But the other day, I felt spontaneous…or at least, curious.

So I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks, The Modern Vegetarian by Peter Berley, for inspiration.  And, inspiration I found.  Chickpea flour pasta. Instead of using regular flour or semolina as the base, this pasta recipe calls for garbanzo flour.  It sounds complicated, but garbanzo (or chickpea) flour is really not all that difficult to find.  Bob’s Red Mill sells it (the brand I used) or you can easily make your own.  You just need dried chickpeas and a food processor!

Homemade Chickpea Flour Pasta

If you haven’t made homemade pasta before, I highly recommend doing it for a special occasion or an everyday special meal.  It sounds intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple.  Despite what you may think, you don’t need any special equipment.  Unlike some of those funky machines their selling at kitchen stores these days.  Seriously, does anyone really need a daisy-shape egg mold?  It really does exist, I swear.

Homemade Chickpea Flour Pasta

Back to the point…while I sometimes use an old-fashioned non-electric pasta machine, I’ve also cut the noodles by hand as well.  A machine may offer some fancier shapes or more uniform pasta, but it all ends up tasting the same.  Am I right?

Another positive?  This pasta recipe is vegan! Due to the high protein content of chickpeas, you don’t need an egg (usually needed in homemade pasta recipes–but not always) to get the dough to bind together.   Since Peter so nicely paired up this pasta with a simple leek and tomato sauce, I decided to follow along and do just the same…If you prefer to use your own sauce, that’s fine too!

Homemade Chickpea Flour PastaHomemade Chickpea Flour PastaHomemade Chickpea Flour PastaHomemade Chickpea Flour PastaHomemade Chickpea Flour Pasta

This recipe was a great alternative to my usual pasta recipes!  The chickpea pasta with tomato sauce was a great combination.  Due to the higher protein and fiber content, it was incredibly filling as well.  One portion went a long way.  If you prefer to have a large quantity of sauce, be sure to make twice the recipe amount.

Of course, now I’m inspired to make quinoa pasta (with quinoa flour!) with some flour left in my cupboard.  I’ll be sure to let you know my mishaps and successes!  And, of course, the recipe.

With no further ado, here it is:

homemade chickpea pasta

Homemade Chickpea Flour Pasta with Zesty Leek & Tomato Sauce

4.2 stars (43 ratings)
Print Pin Review Save
Yield: 3 - 4 Servings
Prep: 50 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
A simple recipe for homemade chickpea pasta with a zesty lek and tomato sauce.

Ingredients

Rosemary Garlic Oil (Optional):

  • ½ cup (120 mL) olive oil
  • 4 peeled garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary roughly chopped

Homemade Chickpea Pasta:

  • ¾ cup chickpea flour
  • 1¼ cups (150 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup (120 mL) warm water
  • 2 tablespoons rosemary garlic oil (see recipe above) or substitute extra virgin olive oil

Leek and Tomato Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 leeks, white and light green parts only sliced lengthwise and cut croswise into thin slices
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 (28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • fresh tarragon or basil at your discretion
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • finely chopped chives optional

Instructions 

Prepare the Rosemary Garlic Oil:

  • In saucepan, combine olive oil, peeled garlic cloves, and rosemary sprig (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary). Bring to simmer, reduce heat as low as possible and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until garlic turns golden. Strain in jar and let cool. If not using right away, refrigerate immediately and use within 3 days.

Prepare Pasta:

  • Stir together chickpea flour, white flour, and salt. Create well and add in water and oil (either rosemary garlic oil or regular olive oil). Using fingers or a wooden spoon, mix together until liquid is absorbed.
  • Using clean countertop, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of water. When the dough is smooth and resilient, wrap again in plastic and let sit for 30 minutes. Once done, the dough will be quite shiny!
  • Once rested, divide the dough into two equal parts. If using a machine, roll to desired thickness and cut whichever shape you desire. If making by hand, roll dough to 1/16 inch thickness. Let sit again for 5 to 7 minutes to let dry slightly. Dust pasta with flour roll into a loose cylinder. Cut the cylinder croswise into desired strip width and uncurl the noodles onto a clean dry towel. Repeat.

Prepare Sauce:

  • Warm olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and saute for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly wilted. Do not brown. Increase heat to high, add canned tomatoes, herbs, red peppers, and lemon zest. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until thick.
  • Bring water to boil (add salt once water begins to boil!), add noodles and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through. Drain, drizzle with rosemary-oil and serve on plates. Top with sauce and sprinkle with chives (if desired).
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 512kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 35g, Sodium: 164mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Pastas, Risottos, and Grains
Cuisine: American