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Chickpea Pasta Recipe with Feta is the perfect light, spring meal. Your favorite pasta is mixed with a creamy, lemon sauce, chickpeas, feta cheese and arugula. This is the perfect weeknight meal or an elegant way to celebrate.
This chickpea pasta with feta comes together in 30 minutes on the stovetop, no oven required. Pasta is tossed in a creamy lemon sauce made from milk and a light roux, then finished with feta, chickpeas, and arugula for a dish that’s rich but still light. Unlike the viral baked feta pasta, there’s no waiting on a block of feta to melt in the oven. This version is faster, and the sauce comes together in the same skillet while your pasta boils, so it’s realistic for a Tuesday night.
The result is a silky, lemony sauce that clings to every noodle, with pops of saltiness from the feta and a little crunch from pine nuts on top. It works just as well as a quick family dinner as it does plated up for guests. If you like light pasta dishes you also might like this Lemon Pasta Recipe, Shrimp Pesto Pasta or this Lemon Ricotta Pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
The roux (butter and flour cooked together before the milk goes in) is what keeps this sauce silky instead of grainy or broken. Whisking the milk in slowly, rather than all at once, lets the starch in the flour thicken the liquid gradually instead of clumping. Feta melts into that base rather than sitting on top, which is why the sauce turns creamy instead of just cheesy. Reserved pasta water at the end adds starch and salt that help the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Recipe Ingredients
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Milk: This recipe uses 2 % milk to help create a creamy but light sauce. You can substitute any dairy in. Keep in mind if you use skim milk it will have a thinner texture and a bit less flavor than the higher fat milks.
- Cheese: I added feta cheese into this pasta. I love the saltiness of feta and when heated with the milk it creates a nice, creamy sauce. You can use other cheeses like goat cheese, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
- Spices: For this dish I went pretty simple with the spices and just used Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. There are a variety of spices that would be nice additions from paprika, to sumac to za’atar.
- Lemon: This recipe is lemony and uses lemon juice and lemon zest. Of course if you want less lemon flavor leave out the lemon zest and take the lemon juice down to 1 lemon.
- Chickpeas: I love adding chickpeas to pasta dishes. If you don’t like them you can leave them out or try cannelini beans.
Modifications
- Make it vegetarian-protein boosted: Swap chickpeas for white beans or double the chickpeas for extra protein and fiber.
- Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour blend for the roux.
- Add protein: Stir in grilled chicken, shrimp, or shredded rotisserie chicken along with the pasta.
- Add more veggies: Fold in baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted zucchini with the arugula.
- Make it spicier: Add extra crushed red pepper or a spoonful of harissa paste to the sauce.
- Lean into Lebanese flavors: Swap the Italian seasoning for za’atar or sumac for a Middle Eastern twist.
How Do you Make This Chickpea Pasta?
Step 1: Boil Pasta: Generously salt a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and add the pasta in. Cook until just over al dente, making sure not to overcook. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
Step 2: Melt Butter: While the pasta is cooking heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt.
Step 3: Cook Shallots: Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Step 4: Add Lemon and Milk: Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the milk and whisk until it starts to thicken. If you are using a lower fat milk you might have to whisk in 1 or 2 more Tablespoons of milk to thicken the sauce. If you think the sauce is too thick you can use the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Step 5: Add Seasoning: Add the Italian seasoning and 3 ounces of feta cheese and let simmer for about 2 minutes. When the pasta is done cooking reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
Step 6: Stir In Pasta: Stir in the pasta, chickpeas and arugula. Gently stir and serve warm. Garnish with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper, pine nuts and extra lemon zest.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding the milk too fast. Pour it in slowly while whisking, or the sauce can turn lumpy instead of smooth.
- Using pre-crumbled feta straight from a shaker container. Crumbling a block yourself gives a creamier melt.
- Skipping the reserved pasta water. It’s what keeps the sauce from thickening too much as it sits.
- Overcooking the pasta before it hits the sauce. Pull it just before al dente since it finishes cooking in the skillet.
- Using skim milk without adjusting the flour. Skim milk needs an extra tablespoon or two of flour to thicken properly.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce back up, or microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each. The sauce can thicken as it chills, so add liquid a little at a time when reheating.
Recipe FAQ
Add reserved hot pasta water one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the sauce loosens to your preference. The starch in the pasta water helps it blend in smoothly instead of separating.
Top with toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or crushed almonds, plus a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs. The crunch balances the creamy sauce.
No. Baked feta pasta bakes a block of feta and tomatoes in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes before mashing it into a sauce. This version cooks entirely on the stovetop in about 30 minutes total, using a lemon and milk based sauce instead of tomatoes.
More Pasta Recipes
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Chickpea Pasta with Feta
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of medium sized pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter or you can use olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small shallot, diced {or you can use about 1/2 cup of sweet onion, diced}
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 lemons, juiced and the zest of 1 of the lemons
- 2 cup of 2 % milk or you can use cream for a creamier sauce, , divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour {you might need more if using a lower fat milk}
- 6 ounces of crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups of arugula {or greens of your choice}
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Generously salt a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and add the pasta in. Cook until just over al dente, making sure not to overcook.
- While the pasta is cooking heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter or olive oil. Let the butter melt or the olive oil heat.
- Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and half of the lemon juice. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and other half of the lemon juice whisking constantly.
- Stir in the lemon zest and the 3 ounces of feta cheese stirring constantly until the sauce bubbles and starts to thicken. TIP: If you are using a lower fat milk you might have to whisk in 1 or 2 more Tablespoons of milk to thicken the sauce. If you think the sauce is too thick you can use the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Add the Italian seasoning and let simmer for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- When the pasta is done cooking reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta. Stir in the pasta, chickpeas, arugula with the sauce.
- Gently stir. Add in 2 to 3 Tablespoons of reserved hot pasta water which contains salt and starch for extra flavor and texture in the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 3 ounces of feta cheese on the pasta dish. Serve warm with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper, pine nuts and extra lemon zest.
Notes
- 2% milk keeps the sauce light but creamy. Skim milk works too, just add 1 to 2 extra tablespoons of flour to compensate for the lower fat.
- Lactose-free milk works well and adds a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Prefer less lemon flavor? Cut the lemon juice down to 1 lemon and skip the zest.
- Swap chickpeas for cannellini beans if you prefer a creamier bean texture.
- Lean into your spice cabinet: try a pinch of sumac or za’atar in place of Italian seasoning for a Lebanese-leaning variation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Today’s post is sponsored by the American Dairy Assocation of Mideast. All opinions are 100% my own.
