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.

CHICKPEA PASTA RECIPE WITH FETA 

Spring is in the air and that calls for light, lemony pasta dishes. 

Lemon mixed with feta cheese and pasta is my new favorite dish and today’s Chickpea Pasta Recipe with Feta is one I can’t stop making. 

You probably have seen the famous feta baked pasta dish that everyone is making these days. 

I must admit I love feta cheese in pasta.

To be honest I use feta in so many recipes from this Greek Village Salad, to this Mediterranean Bean Salad to this Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. 

The American Dairy Association Mideast and I are partnering today to share this light, delicious and easy to make pasta dish with you guys. 

I live in Ohio and you probably know by now that Ohio and West Virginia are home to about 1,700 dairy farms.

I had the privilege of meeting some of the dairy farmers in Ohio and they are some of the hardest working, most passionate people I have ever met. 

They produce about 639 million gallons of milk each year. 

Milk actually makes it from Ohio and West Virginia dairy farms to your fridge in as little as 48 hours, making it a fresh source of high-quality protein. 

With three growing boys that are very active in sports dairy is a big part of our daily diets whether it is a pasta dish like this Chickpea Pasta Recipe with Feta, this Mediterranean Pasta or a big glass of milk. 

Is Dairy Nutritious?

• Milk, cheese and yogurt contain a unique package of essential nutrients. Dairy’s unique nutrient package is hard to replace and is one of the most affordable and accessible ways of getting calcium, vitamin D and potassium — three of the four critical nutrients most often lacking in Americans’ diets.
• Using milk in recipes like sauces vs. water makes them creamier and adds nutrition, like in today’s recipe. Get ideas for easy hacks that make recipes tastier and add bone-building nutrients—simply by using milk! 
• There are more than 300 different cheeses in the U.S. With so many options, find the best cheese match for you, whether you are watching the amount of fat in your diet, trying to cut down on sodium or are lactose intolerant. 

What Ingredients are in This Chickpea Pasta Recipe with Feta?

• 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. You can also substitute lactose free milk if you are lactose intolerant. The flavor will be a touch sweeter and the texture will be the same. 
• 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 depending on your tastes. 
• PASTA: When I make this dish I use a medium or large shaped pasta. You can use a smaller pasta shape like orzo but I think the ingredients hold up together better with a slightly larger pasta. 
• ONION & GARLIC: I added shallot and garlic into this recipe for added flavor. It is optional for both. You can use red or sweet onion in place of the shallots if you like. 
• 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. 
• GREENS: When it comes to greens I often add them to pasta dishes. For today’s dish I used peppery arugula because I love the taste of it. You could also use spinach, kale or swiss chard. 
• HERBS: Fresh herbs are the perfect finishing touch. I suggest fresh parsley and dill. I also think fresh basil and oregano are nice. 

How Do you Make This Chickpea Pasta?

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.
2. MELT BUTTER: While the pasta is cooking heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt.
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.
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.
5. ADD SEASONING: Add the Italian seasoning and 3 ounces of feta cheese and let simmer for about 2 minutes.
6. When the pasta is done cooking reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
7. STIR IN PASTA: Stir in the pasta, chickpeas and arugula. Gently stir and serve warm.
8. GARNISH & SERVE: Garnish with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper, pine nuts and extra lemon zest.

Can I Make this Recipe if I am Lactose Intolerant?

Yes! Don’t confuse lactose intolerance with having a food allergy.

Being lactose intolerant means you have a food sensitivity but can still enjoy lactose-free cow’s milk, like Lactaid, and other low lactose or lactose-free dairy foods.

Hard, naturally aged cheeses like Swiss, Colby or Cheddar are naturally low in lactose. In today’s recipe you can substitute the milk with lactose-free milk.

It works great and actually has a slightly sweeter flavor which makes a great addition to this pasta. 

Other Pasta Recipes to Try:

LEMON PASTA

LEMON RICOTTA PASTA

LEMON GARLIC SHRIMP

LEMON BASIL WHITE BEAN PASTA

PASTA WITH GREEN BEANS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA RECIPE

Today’s post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast. All opinions are 100% my own.