Creamy Hummus Pasta with Spinach and Red Peppers
grated carrot salad
We love the way store-bought hummus creates a creamy, savory sauce in this surprisingly healthy and filling vegetarian pasta. For a crunchy side, we've added a fresh grated carrot salad.
Smarts #1: When we first featured this meal in 2015, many of our members used flavored hummus (such as roasted garlic) with great results.
Smarts #2: Harissa can vary from mild to quite spicy, so be sure to taste yours and add it according to your preference.
Ingredients
- Bell peppers, red - 1 , chopped
- Shallots - 1 , chopped
- Baby spinach - 5 oz , roughly chopped
- Pasta - 8 oz (use any short shape like fusilli)
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Hummus - 6 oz
- Carrots (sub bagged shredded carrots) - 10 oz , grated
- Lemons - 1 , juice of
- Oil, olive - 2 tsp
- Paprika - 1/2 tsp
- Sugar - 1/2 tsp
- Harissa paste (opt, sub other hot sauce) - 1/2 tsp
- Pine nuts (opt) - 1/4 cup
- Parsley, fresh, flat-leaf - 3 Tbsp , chopped
Prep
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Make carrot salad - Grate carrots in a food processor or using a box grater. Combine carrots with lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, sugar, and harissa paste. Season with some salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
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Pine nuts - Toast pine nuts in a frying pan over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until pine nuts are golden and fragrant. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Bell peppers / Shallots - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Spinach / Parsley - Prep as directed.
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Make
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Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Save 1 cup (235 mL) of pasta water (amount is for 4 servings; adjust accordingly if customizing).
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While pasta cooks, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add bell peppers and shallots and saute until tender, ~3 minutes. Add spinach and saute until spinach cooks down and residual water evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Reduce heat to medium and add pasta, hummus, and half the reserved pasta water. Stir to evenly coat pasta in sauce. If sauce still seems thick, add remaining pasta water a bit at a time until sauce appears smooth and creamy. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)
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Toss carrot salad with pine nuts and parsley. Serve pasta with carrot salad on the side. Enjoy!
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