Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Pasta
pantry pasta with actual depth

Sun-dried tomatoes are one of the most underused items in the average pantry. A jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes is concentrated flavor sitting on a shelf, waiting. This recipe uses them to build a sauce that tastes far richer than the ingredient list suggests.

The combination of sun-dried tomatoes and chickpeas works because of how they interact: the tomatoes are intensely savory and slightly sweet, with an almost jammy texture when cooked in oil. The chickpeas are starchy and absorb flavor readily. When some of them get lightly crushed in the pan, they release starch into the oil and help the whole mixture emulsify into a thick coating sauce when you add the pasta water.

This is a fully pantry-sourced dinner. No fresh vegetables required, no special ingredients. If your pantry has pasta, a can of chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, you have this dinner. The parmesan at the end is a finishing touch, not a requirement — it rounds out the flavor but the dish works without it.

What you need

• 8 oz dry pasta — rigatoni, penne, casarecce, or spaghetti all work well
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed preferred, roughly chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (skip if you don't want heat)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil — use the oil from the tomato jar if oil-packed
• ½ cup pasta cooking water, reserved before draining
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or pecorino
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh basil or parsley if available

How to make it

Step 1: Salt your pasta water generously. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt that the water tastes like lightly salted soup — this is not the place to be sparing. Drop in the pasta. Cook for one minute less than the package time; it will finish cooking in the pan.

Step 2: Build the sauce while the pasta cooks. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for one to two minutes, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn golden. This happens quickly — don't walk away.

Step 3: Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir them into the garlic oil and cook for two minutes. They'll soften slightly and release their concentrated flavor into the oil, turning it a deep orange-red. If you're using oil-packed tomatoes, the oil in the jar counts toward the cooking oil — it's already flavored with the tomatoes and worth using.

Step 4: Add the chickpeas and crush some. Pour in the drained chickpeas and toss to coat in the tomato oil. Let them cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. After two minutes, use the back of a spoon to press down on roughly a third of the chickpeas, breaking them open. The mashed chickpeas release starch that will help the sauce coat the pasta. Leave the rest whole for texture.

Step 5: Reserve the pasta water, then drain. Before draining the pasta, scoop out about half a cup of the cooking water. This starchy liquid is what makes the sauce cling — don't forget it. Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet.

Step 6: Finish with pasta water and parmesan. Add about a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat for one to two minutes, adding more water if needed, until the sauce is glossy and coats every piece of pasta. Remove from heat. Stir in the parmesan. Taste and adjust the salt. Eat immediately, with extra parmesan and fresh herbs scattered over the top.

Adding greens

A handful of spinach or arugula stirred in just before serving wilts in the residual heat and adds color and a slight bitterness that works well against the rich tomatoes. Frozen spinach squeezed dry and added with the chickpeas is equally good. This is a flexible base — see also the garlicky greens pasta for a similar approach with a leafy-green focus.

Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes

If you have dry-packed (not oil-packed) sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in hot water for ten minutes before using. Drain and chop. Add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the pan to compensate for the missing jar oil. The flavor is still excellent, just slightly less rich.

See also: Pantry Puttanesca · 5-Ingredient Pantry Chickpea Curry · Ingredient guides · NowCook pricing