Date Night Pasta - A zesty vegan date night pasta recipe featuring a creamy hummus sauce and a mint and lemon gremolata. A super simple date night recipe ready in 30 minutes.
Vegan pasta dishes are often unbalanced, containing very little protein (if any). So I set out to create a delicious vegan pasta recipe featuring hummus and lots of spring veggies.
I decided to use hummus (instead of cheese/milk/cream) as the sauce and it turned out great. Creamy, tasty and plant-based!
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This Date Night Pasta is super easy, you just need a single pot and 30 minutes. That’s it. Seriously so easy and fancy enough for an at-home date night.
And definitely don’t skip out on the zesty gremolata - the punch of flavor that really elevates this dish. It adds a little spice, freshness and zest. Feel free to make extra and pile it on.
How to make Date Night Pasta
1 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Once al dente, remove from heat and drain. Set aside.
2 - Prepare gremolata. Mince garlic, zest lemon, finely chop mint, chop walnuts and combine in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3 - Make hummus sauce. Heat the large pot that you cooked the pasta in over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic, saute garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add hummus, water, artichoke liquid and salt. Stir until creamy.
Return pasta to the pot and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce. Stir in artichokes, spinach, peas and red pepper flakes. Remove from heat.
4 - Serve pasta with a spoonful of the zesty gremolata and enjoy!
Date Night Pasta: Tips, Tricks and Tools
Tools: You’ll need a large pot to cook the pasta, and a sharp knife and cutting board
Reduce waste: Use the zest of a lemon that you previously juiced or save the juice for another recipe.
Additions: Feel free to add some Parmesan cheese (vegan or regular) to serve. Chicken would be a great addition, but would (obviously) make this not vegan.
Hummus: You can use store-bought hummus (I like to use a simple garlic hummus) or make your own!
We hope you love this simple Date Night Pasta!
It’s quick, simple enough for a weeknight meal, but fancy enough for a date night at home!
Love this simple pasta recipe? Check out our other delicious pasta recipes like this One-Skillet Mediterranean Orzo or our One-Pot Mediterranean Pasta.
Did you enjoy this Date Night Pasta as much as we do?
Comment below! And rate the recipe to let us know how it turned out! Not cooking today? Save this Date Night Pasta for later by pinning it to your Healthy Pasta Recipes Board and make sure to tag us on Instagram @crooked.carrot to show us your Date Night Pasta creations!
Date night pasta with hummus cream sauce and zesty gremolata
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta rigatoni/gemelli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup hummus homemade/store-bought
- 1 cup water
- 1 (12-14 ounce) jar artichokes + ½ liquid from jar
- 1 cup English peas thawed
- 1 handful baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Zesty Gremolata
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup mint finely chopped
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt + pepper freshly ground to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the gremolata. Combine minced garlic, chopped mint and walnuts and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make sauce: In the same pot that you cooked the pasta, add olive oil and set over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add hummus, water and artichoke liquid, stir until creamy.
- Add veggies: Return pasta to the pot and stir until the pasta is coated in the sauce. Stir in artichokes, spinach, peas, salt and red pepper flakes.
- Serve pasta with a big spoonful of the Zesty Gremolata. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Christine says
Wonderful flavors, packed well for a picnic and easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe, I will pass it along.
Libby Bloom says
So glad you enjoyed it!