This Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Sauce makes for a fabulous meatless weeknight pasta dish!

Ever have a ton of fresh broccoli leftover that you need to use asap? This Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Sauce is the answer!

When my friends at Banza pasta so kindly sent me a huge box of all their incredible chickpea-based pastas, I couldn't wait to get into the kitchen to make some yummy weeknight dishes. What I love most about these pastas is how they're packed with way more fiber and protein than regular pasta, so it makes them the perfect pairing for veggie-based sauces.

That way you can double down on the vegetables knowing that the pasta itself will bring all the protein you need to balance out your meal!

First up, I wanted to try a Broccoli Sauce much like Milk Street's Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce, which uses a whole head of broccoli to create a luscious vegetable based sauce. The broccoli stalks are chopped, boiled and then blended with butter and garlic to create the sauce base. Then the florets are boiled and added in at the end for texture.

What to do with leftover fresh broccoli?

Roasted Broccoli Sauce, of course!

But since my love for roasted broccoli knows no bounds, I amped up the dish by roasting the florets instead of boiling them to add more texture and flavor. They're tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes. The result are crispy broccoli that are totally addictive!

Then I mixed the cooked Banza rotini pasta with the blended broccoli sauce, some reserved pasta water and the roasted florets. Added a sprinkle of parmesan and another dash of red pepper flakes for good luck!

And voila! Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Sauce in less than 30 minutes with enough protein and fiber to keep you feeling full all afternoon or evening.

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5 from 2 votes

Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. box Banza rotini pasta
• 1 medium head of broccoli
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes separated
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Instructions

• Separate the broccoli into the florets and the stems. Chop the stems into 1/2-inch pieces and cut the florets into small 1-inch sized pieces.
  
  
• Heat the oven to 400 F and place the florets on a tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 10-15 minutes until tender and browned.
  
  
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Once boiling, add in the chopped broccoli stems. Cook for 8 minutes, until tender. Add in the spinach and cook for another 30 seconds until wilted. Using a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli and spinach to a blender, along with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Keep the water boiling.
  
  
• Add the Banza pasta to the boiling water and set a timer for 7 minutes.
  
  
• To the blender with the broccoli add the butter, smashed garlic cloves, 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, kalamata olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon zest. Blend on high for 1 minute.
  
  
• Once pasta is done cooking, save 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, then drain the pasta. Put the pasta back in the pot with the broccoli blender sauce and the roasted broccoli florets. Drizzle in some reserved cooking liquid and stir. Add in more liquid if needed to reach a smooth sauce.