Harissa Chickpea Pasta (Printable Version)

A spicy and satisfying dish with chickpeas and harissa sauce combined with al dente pasta.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Chickpeas & Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 2 tbsp harissa paste (adjust to taste)
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes
10 - 2 (14 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
11 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

13 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
15 - Optional: crumbled feta cheese, to serve

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
03 - Stir in garlic, harissa paste, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and bring to a simmer.
05 - Cover and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
06 - Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with additional herbs and optional crumbled feta cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 40 minutes, which means you can serve something genuinely impressive on a random Tuesday without the stress.
  • The chickpeas make it substantial and protein-packed, so even meat-eaters stop asking for more.
  • Harissa gives it personality—spicy, smoky, and somehow both comforting and exciting at once.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned chickpeas; the liquid they're packed in will muddy your sauce and make it coat poorly.
  • Taste the harissa before you commit to the full amount—brands vary wildly, and you can always add more heat but you can't take it back.
  • Reserve that pasta water like it's liquid gold; a splash or two adjusts the consistency better than anything else and helps the pasta absorb the sauce.
03 -
  • If you make your own harissa paste from dried chiles, you'll taste the difference—it's fresher and you control the heat level exactly.
  • Don't drain the pasta too thoroughly; a tiny bit of water clinging to it helps the sauce coat more evenly.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day because the pasta continues absorbing the sauce, so make extra without guilt.
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