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Easiest Tomato Basil Penne with Spicy Italian Chickpeas.
One word. YUM.
Spicy crunchy chickpeas, tomato basil penne pasta, and burrata. All made in about thirty minutes and using pantry staple ingredients. I mean, what could be better than that (said in my best Ina Garten voice)?
Itโs no secret around here that I like, no love, my carbs, and pasta has to be one of my favorites. Who else is with me on this?
As I write this post, itโs currently dumping snow outside my window and has been all day long. Itโs cold, wintry, and all I can think about is the fact that I do not have a bowl of this pasta to cozy up to. Oh how I wish I had some left, because it would make writing this post so much easier. Instead, all I have are these photos, reminding just how good this pasta was.
Did I mention the burrata? OMG. So good.
Like most of you, my weeknights are always busy and Iโm trying to pack in as much as possible. Unlike most of you, I do normally have dinner made and ready, since I shoot new recipes for HBH almost daily. I guess thatโs just one of the perks of cooking and photographing food as your full time job. Not complaining.
Thing is, there are less often days when I donโt cook at all, and instead sit at my computer and work all day long on what I call โcomputer busy workโ. If youโre wondering, these are not my most favorite kind of work days, but they are just as important as developing and photographing recipes, so they have to happen.
Anyway, when I donโt cook for multiple days in a row, Iโm left with the fact that I actually need to make dinner. When itโs just me, and I have zero boys to think about serving, I always go straight for the pasta.
And the burrata.
Obviously.
And that is where todayโs recipe comes into play. This is my any night of the weekโฆsingle girls pasta, and itโs a new favorite.
Side Note: I am now the only single one left out of my siblingsโฆwell, minus Asher, who is nineโฆok, and my oldest brother, who Iโm not sure could ever handle a girlfriend for more than a weekโฆ
If youโre at all familiar with my cooking style, then you know I have a handful of ingredients I love using. Basil pesto is one of those ingredients. Whenever Iโm in a pinch, and need to create a recipe quickly and with minimal ingredients, I always reach for pesto. It adds so much flavor and color to dishes. Plus, basil is one of my favorite herbs, so itโs just naturally a go-to for me.
This tomato basil sauce literally consist of two ingredients, canned tomatoes and basil pesto. So, so, so simple, but yet so delicious. For added flavor and texture, I paired the pasta with spicy Italian style chickpeas. They have the flavor of spicy sausage, but minus the pork, and you guysโฆI think I actually like them better.
The key is to cook the chickpeas first. You can even use the same pot youโll make the sauce in. Not only does this make for less dishes, but some of the seasoning from the chickpeas gets left in the bottom of the pot, adding-in even more flavor to the tomato sauce. Trust me, itโs easy, delicious, and again, this pasta uses all pantry staple ingredients. It really does not get simpler or better.
Finish the pasta with a ball of burrata and you have the most perfect plate of food fit for any night of the week.
Also, while I might be enjoying this pasta solo, it would make for a great Valentineโs Day dinner with its pretty red hue. Maybe along side this chocolate cake? Yum. Yum.
Easiest Tomato Basil Penne with Spicy Italian Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 cans (28 ounce) san marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1 pound penne
- 8 ounces burrata cheese, torn
- basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add the chickpeas, olive oil, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, fennel, mustard seeds, onion powder, and a pinch of salt. Toss well to evenly combine. Cook, stirring often until the chickpeas are warmed through and golden crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the chickpeas from the pot to a plate and set aside.2. To the same pot, add the tomatoes - crushing them by hand as you add them, add the pesto, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cook stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10-15 minutes.ย 3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta accordingย to packages directions until al dente. Drain and then toss the pasta in the red sauce.ย 4. Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with chickpeas and burrata. Garnish with basil.ย
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
We are off to South Korea today, so be sure to follow along on InstagramโฆIโm going to try to share as much as possible!
The flavor is amazing! I think I messed up with the chickpeas, they didn’t get crisp at any point, but otherwise a great recipe!
Hi Laura,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
Can you edit this to follow typical the written recipe convention of saying โ2-28 oz cansโ or even โTwo 28 oz cansโ? It currently reads like youโre advising two cans totaling 28 ounces, which is confusing, and there are other comments indicating I wasnโt the only reader who made this mistake. Love the blog, thanks for everything you do.
Hi Deb,
Sorry for the confusion, I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Do you mean 2 cans of tomatoes that are 28 oz each, or two cans totaling 28 oz?
Hey Karol,
You want to use 2 cans of tomatoes that are 28 ounces each. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing!! I have never heard of burratta. Hope I can find some!
I hope you find some too! It is my FAVORITE! Thank you Nick! xTieghan
Made this tonight after not having made it for quite some time (mostly because we rarely have a meatless dinner). This was just as good as we remembered it to be! We only used one teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, and it was plenty spicy enough for us. We only forgot to make sure we had fresh basil to garnish, so we want to remember that next time! Thanks, Tieghan!
Thank you!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have never had chickpeas in my pasta, but this was surprisingly good! The chickpeas is a nice protein alternative to chicken. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for trying this! I am glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Looks delicious, can’t wait to make this weekend. What protein (meat) would you recommend adding?
Hi Nicole! Italian sausage would work really well in this one! I hope you love it! xTieghan
I have yet to try some of these recipes but plan to. They look so yummy! What on earth is burrata? I cook quite a bit but I’ve never heard of it. Thank you so much!
Hi Maria! It is a type of cheese.. and definitely my favorite one haha! I usually find it at stores with a larger cheese selection as it can be hard to come by! I hope you love this recipe if you get a chance to make it! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I don’t care about the chick pea dish. I want to know what that is in the little
bowl on the side which looks like it might be setting in olive oil.
I wish people would label the items or dishes in their photos!
Hi Joe! Yes, it is! It is the burrata and basil pesto with some arugula on top! I hope you try this recipe! xTieghan
Love this recipe! Used spaghetti squash instead of pasta for a healthier dish, and it did not disappoint. Love, love, love all your recipes!
That is so great! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Eileen! xTieghan