Lemon Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas

Name: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower, clean & cut into florets; 15 ounces chickpeas, drained & rinsed; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; salt & pepper, to taste; 1/4 cup olive oil; 12 ounces dry pasta ( I used calamarata); 3/4 cup heavy cream; 1 lemon ((or more or less depending on your taste)); 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup finely grated cheese (I used 3/4 cup parmesan & 1/4 cup pecorino romano); 1/4 cup Italian parsley

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When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas! This pasta is perfect for a vegetarian weeknight dinner or meatless Monday!

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas on herringbone background
A white low bowl of pasta with crispy chickpeas, roasted cauliflower and Italian parsley on a white marble herringbone background.

For the times, I try to eat more meatless meals, I know I HAVE to make this pasta. Most of the ingredients are usually on hand, making this dish my ultimate pantry pasta! It's decadent from the cheese, cream and butter sauce but has brightness from lemon and lots of texture from the crunchy chickpeas.

Make this pasta to impress you friends and family! Or for a romantic date night, and make it a full three course meal. Start the night with BLT Wedge Salad with Heart Croutons and end it with an impressive One-Ingredient Chocolate Bag.

Why this Recipe Works

Decadent, simple sauce with flavorful cauliflower & crunchy chickpeas
Perfect pasta for Meatless Monday or if you are looking to eat more vegetarian meals
Ready in an hour or less!

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas on white marble background
A white low bowl of pasta with crispy chickpeas, roasted cauliflower and Italian parsley on a white marble background.

Ingredients

See the recipe card at the end of the post for specifics and quantity.

Ingredient Notes

Pasta: I love all pasta! For this recipe, I used calamarata pasta shells. They look like the tentacles of squid (calamari) hence the name. But, use your favorite pasta for this recipe! Just be aware of the cook time.
Cauliflower: this vegetable is high in fiber, vitamin B and antioxidants and is ideal for soaking up spices. Once it's roasted and tender, it's perfect for this pasta.
Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans): a great source of plant-based protein. Drain and rinse well in a sieve or colander.
Butter & Cream: makes the sauce creamy and indulgent.
Spices: used a variety of spices including dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, flaky sea salt, & freshly ground pepper. Adds a ton of flavor to the cauliflower and chickpeas.
Grated Cheese: I used a combination of parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Pecorino is much saltier and stronger flavor than parmesan. You can use just parmesan if you have it on hand. Just make sure to buy the real-deal, and grate it yourself right off of the block.
Lemon: Bright flavor from both the zest and juice gives this pasta its name and makes the flavors sing. I use anywhere from 1 - 3 lemons depending on how lemon forward you want the pasta to be.
Italian Parsley: Use fresh parsley for a burst of herby freshness throughout the pasta.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Side by side photos with a number in the upper left. In the left photo is a “1” in white font with a black outline showing a baking tray with chickpeas and cauliflower florets tossed in spices on a white marble background. In the right photo is a “2” in red font wit white outline. It shows a large pot of water boiling with pasta.

Pre-heat an oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower florets and chickpeas with olive oil and spices until well coated. Place the cauliflower and chickpeas on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, parchment or a silicone mat. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until roasting of your liking. Make sure to shake the pan 1-2 times during cook time to ensure even cooking.
While the chickpeas and cauliflower are cooking, cook pasta in another large pot of boiling water which is well salted. Stir occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.

Side by side photos with a number in the upper left in a dark red font with white offset outline. In the left photo is a “3” large red skillet on the stove with heavy cream, lemon zest and red chili flakes. In the right photo is a “4”of the same large red skillet with a piece of butter being slowly melting and emulsifying into the sauce with a red silicone spatula.

Finely grate lemon zest into a large non stick skillet (or Dutch oven). Cut lemon in half and squeeze into a small bowl; set aside. Add heavy cream (optional: add red chili flakes) to the pot. Heat over low heat until simmering.
Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to the cream and stir until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Repeat with remaining butter. Once all the butter, is added remove the sauce from the heat.

Side by side photos with a number in the upper left in a dark red font with white offset outline. In the left photo is a “5” large red skillet on the stove with a creamy sauce with short tubular noodles being mixed in with a red silicone spatula. In the right photo is a “6” with a white low bowl of pasta with crispy chickpeas, roasted cauliflower and Italian parsley.

Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to sauce pan/pot to medium heat. Transfer pasta to pot with sauce (it’s okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook, tossing often. Next, add grated cheese ¼ cup at a time, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy. Stir in reserved lemon juice; season with more salt, if needed.
Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper, salt then top cauliflower, chickpeas and parsley. Serve hot!

Expert Tips

Spice or not to spice? Sometimes I like my pasta a little bit more lemony and other times a little spicy. When I want a more spice-forward pasta, I go heavier on the chili flakes and spices. When I want the lemon to really shine, I go with a more simply spice blend of salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder.
Save some liquid gold! Pasta water aka liquid gold is the cloudy, starchy liquid gold that’s left behind after you boil your pasta to a perfect al dente. It's filled with leftover starch from the pasta and salt. It helps to bind and thicken the sauce of our pasta and helps emulsify buttery and oily pasta.
Lemon is the ZEST! I serious love the flavor of lemon! I sometimes use 1-3 lemons depending on how much lemon flavor I want. Make sure to taste the finished pasta in the sauce with the cauliflower and chickpeas and then adjustment and add more lemon juice and zest if needed.

Multiple bowls of pasta with cauliflower and chickpeas in white low bowls on a white and grey background surrounded by whole lemons and 2 glasses of white wine in the upper left corner.

Recipe FAQs

I forgot to save the starchy water. What do I do?

Add ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt into one cup of water mix and bring to a boil in a small pot or sauce pot.

I don't want to use cauliflower. What other vegetables can I use?

Broccoli would be great in this pasta! The cook time would be similar to the cauliflower. You could also try asparagus but adjust the cook time. Asparagus would be around 12-15 minutes.

Can I use another pasta?

Absolutely! I really like using Calamarata but you could use another short pasta like penne or farfalle or use a longer pasta like spaghetti and linguine. Just make sure to consider the cook time. The pasta sauce takes about 15-20 minutes to make.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinteres t, Facebook or Instagram.