Maghrebi-style Vegetable Pasta

Pasta coated in a thick, warm-spiced sauce where tender vegetables mingle with chickpeas. The scent of roasting ras-el-hanout immediately fills the air.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 25 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 716
• Protein: 25 g
• Carbs: 110 g
• Fat: 17 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Dried pasta ( penne or fusilli type )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely sliced )
• 2 piece Carrot ( finely diced )
• 1 piece Zucchini ( into half-moons )
• 200 g Chickpea ( cooked and drained )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Ras el hanout
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 piece Round tomato ( peeled and crushed )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste

Instructions

1. Preparing the sauce base

   In a sauté pan, sweat the sliced onion and diced carrots in olive oil. Look for a light golden color to release the sugars.

2. Spicing and searing

   Add the zucchini and garlic. Dust with ras-el-hanout and turmeric. Let the spices toast for 1 minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and paste. Deglaze with a small glass of water.

3. Simmering the vegetables

   Incorporate the chickpeas. Let reduce over medium heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Vegetables should remain whole but be tender to the knife tip.

4. Final binding

   Cook the pasta al dente. Toss them directly into the pan with a ladle of cooking water. Stir vigorously so the starch binds the sauce to the pasta.

Chef's tips

• Always keep some pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
• Do not overcook the vegetables at the start; they need to withstand the final simmering without turning into mush.

Storage

Keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Add a splash of water before reheating.