Garlic Hummus Pasta & Sautéed Veggies

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For those who know me, it is no secret that I am a colossal pasta fan. For those who do not know me, hi, I'm Lindsey, and I am a colossal pasta fan. I love experimenting with new recipes that include this precious starch. While it is so fun to bring in all kinds of ingredients and flavors, it is also nice to have quick, go-to recipes for good flavor in a short amount of time and with just a handful of ingredients.

This dinner has become a frequent flier in my kitchen over the last couple of years. I had never though to use hummus as a pasta sauce, but I was completely sold after the first bite. I was even more impressed by just how simple it is to make a pasta sauce from hummus! After playing around with my fair share of sauce recipes, I have learned it is easy to make a sauce quite complicated quite quickly. This sauce, however, does not require a blender, an additional pan, or a pantry's worth of ingredients. In fact, besides hummus, this sauce has only one other crucial ingredient: water. Hummus and water. Who woulda' thunk.

Hummus is also an excellent ingredient and flavor to pair with a wide variety of vegetables. This way, you can really add/substitute any vegetable you want to this recipe: Vegetables that are about to go bad in your refrigerator, hand-picked favorites selected specifically for this meal, the choice is yours. Personally, I enjoy the crunch and bright color of the broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms are a delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly addition.

I'm going to give a brief overview of the main nutritional elements in this dish!

• Whole Wheat Pasta - this is a very important base ingredient, and not only because it is my favorite. Whole wheat vs white pasta is a very important choice to make. Whole wheat carbs contain more complex carbohydrates that require more time to be broken down in the body. This means that these complex carbohydrates are available as an energy source for a longer period of time. White pasta and other processed, simple carbohydrates are used quickly by your body and therefore do not provide productive energy resources.

• Hummus - while I used garlic hummus for this recipe, this is a fun place to experiment with this recipe, as well. Chickpeas, a legume that is the base ingredient of hummus, is a good source of protein. I have been very interested in discovering ways to take in plant-based proteins since meat serves as a primary protein source in more standard diet.

• Flaxseed - source of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

• Vegetables - I am not going to write a paragraph describing the nutritional importance of vegetables because I think we all heard enough of that at the dinner table growing up, am I right? However, I will highlight some key elements of the veggies that I decided to use! Brussels Sprouts - source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Broccoli - source of fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, and a plethora of vitamins. Mushrooms - source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants that has also been linked to lowering the risk of serious health problems in the future.

• Cumin - serves as a digestive aid and has anti-inflammatory properties

This recipe is a perfect example of how exploring a plant-based diet allowed me to cook with ingredients I had never used before. While I have dipped many-a-vegetable in hummuses of all flavors, I would have likely never thought to try it as a topping on my favorite food of all time were it not for this diet change. Plant-based marinara or creamy pasta sauces are delicious, without a doubt, but it is always nice to bring in a new flavor every now and then. Especially if that flavor turns out to be a major winner.

Stay tuned for more pasta recipes. I guarantee there are PLENTY more to come.

Garlic Hummus Pasta & Sautéed Veggies

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25-30 min

Total Time: 35-45 min

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 box (8-10oz) whole wheat pasta of choice

2 cups Brussels sprouts, chopped or shredded

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup (8 oz) roasted garlic hummus

1 tbsp flax seed

1 cup pasta water reserve

2 tbsp parsley, minced (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Prepare a large pot of water, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, and place on the stove over high heat until boiling. Cook pasta per package instructions.

2. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cumin to the skillet followed by chopped/shredded Brussels sprouts and broccoli florets. Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes until Brussels and broccoli are tender but still bright in color.

3. Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté 5-8 more minutes until mushrooms are browned and tender.

4. Drain cooked pasta, keeping 1 cup of pasta water as reserve. Add pasta back to pot with roasted garlic hummus, flaxseed, and ~1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir to combine until creamy sauce forms around the pasta. (Sauce may appear runny at first. Allow pasta & sauce to set, covered, for 5-10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken)

5. Prepare dish by either placing desired amount of garlic hummus pasta in on a plate/in a bowl and topping with sautéed vegetables, or mixing sautéed vegetables in with pasta and hummus sauce to make a one-pot dish. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Enjoy your veggie and hummus platter served over pasta, tonight! I would love to see what veggies you decided to go with and how your dishes turned out! Tag @joyfulvegann in your Instagram stories and posts to be featured on the Joyful Vegan page. I appreciate every like, comment, and share from you all, as they each do a lot to support this blog! Thank you for your support!

Stay happily healthy, friends!