Creamy Curry Pasta Recipe with Chickpeas and Vegetables
This easy weeknight pasta meal is easy to make in about 30 minutes creating an entire meal in a bowl. Chickpeas, broccoli, cauliflower cooked up with pasta in a warming, savory curry sauce. You can make it spicy or adjust it for less heat.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and carrots and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until very soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the curry powder and turmeric powder and stir constantly to mix into the vegetables and to warm up the spices releasing their aroma.
Add the coconut milk, applesauce and ½ cup of water to the pan. Add the cayenne pepper if desired. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, heat a pot of salted water to boiling over medium high heat. When water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Add the broccoli and cauliflower florets to the pasta water in the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
When the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove and drain well.
Transfer the sauce to a blender when it's ready and puree. Be careful to avoid burning yourself and let the sauce cool a bit if necessary before blending. Return the sauce back to the skillet.
Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth to the curry sauce. Simmer on low until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Just before serving, add the pasta and vegetables and mix well to combine. Cook just long enough to heat all the ingredients.
Serve up in a bowl topped with crushed red pepper and chopped cilantro.
Notes
Tips for Best Results:Don’t over cook the pasta. You want to cook it to al dente where the pasta still has a little “bite” to it and it’s not soft. It will cook a bit more when you add it to the sauce and you don't want it to be overly soft.Don’t let the garlic and ginger burn in the pan. It only needs to cook for a maximum of 60 seconds to simply release its flavor. Regularly stir the contents of the pan once you add the garlic and ginger to keep it from burning.Cut the broccoli and cauliflower florets into 1 inch pieces. This size allows them to cook to a crisp tender texture in the short amount of time they are added to the pasta. If you prefer softer broccoli or cauliflower, add them to the pasta for more time or simply cook them separately before adding them to the pasta and sauce.Use caution transferring the sauce to the blender to avoid burns. If you aren't experienced or comfortable with moving the hot sauce to the blender you should allow it to cool a bit before proceeding.