This chickpea casserole brings collectively ALLLL the comfort meals goodness, from creamy pasta to broccoli-cheddar to casserole nirvana. I LOVE this Broccoli Cheddar Chickpea Noodle Casserole!
We’ve acquired chickpeas, broccoli, and pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with cheddar and baked until melty and effervescent. Vegetarians don’t ought to miss out on the casserole comfort after we’ve this cheesy, creamy chickpeas with pasta recipe!
Desk of Contents
The Story Behind the Recipe
Fall is type of right correct proper right here, and with it, I’m craving the entire comfort meals. I’m moreover craving easy dinner recipes which have the bonus of easy leftovers for lunches or one utterly completely different dinner shortly all by the week. I’m moreover craving pasta and creamy broccoli cheddar.
Principally, this Broccoli Cheddar Chickpea Noodle Casserole is the outcomes of all of my cravings.
I needed to riff on tuna noodle casserole, nonetheless make it vegetarian, on account of this actuality the chickpeas … nonetheless then I was really liking the idea of together with a cheesy ingredient, and broccoli appeared like a pure addition.
I wrote down a recipe I believed would work and gave it a try, totally anticipating to ought to tweak it forward of the recipe hit prime time. It was good the first time. I LOVE it when that happens!
Why You’ll Love This Chickpeas with Pasta Recipe
It’s easy to make with do-it-yourself, healthful components. It begins with onion and garlic and some seasonings, then we add flour to make a roux. From there, we add veggie broth, milk, and cheese, making a full-of-flavor, luxuriously creamy sauce. Stir all by the pasta and broccoli and pour it right correct proper right into a casserole dish. Excessive with cheese, bake until bubbly, dig in!
All you need is an easy salad with a lightweight vinaigrette alongside, and even solely a hunk of bread, considering your casserole has some veggies already!
Substances
- Pasta – I actually like using curly pasta (rotini type) in my chickpea pasta casserole. For an added improve of protein and based on the theme, I want to go for chickpea pasta, nonetheless plain ol’ pasta will do.
- Broccoli – You’ll want it blanched so that it’s cooked great should you serve your casserole. It’s a ache to organize dinner it individually, so I want to throw the broccoli in with the pasta all by the remaining couple of minutes of cooking. Simple peasy possibility to hold out blanched broccoli!
- Butter – I need to make use of unsalted with a view to elevated administration the last word salt ranges. It is important to make use of half and half olive oil and butter instead, should you want to add a dose of healthful fats.
- Flour – To thicken the sauce for a luxuriously creamy finish finish end result.
- Thyme, dried mustard, and smoked paprika – These herbs/seasonings add some good sort notes and highlight the cheesy sort.
- – For a beautiful backbone of favor.
- Veggie broth – Seize some low-sodium vegetable broth on the retailer, or save your scraps and make vegetable broth in your Crock Pot!
- Milk – It is important to make use of dairy milk or your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk. I need to make use of full-fat oat milk on this one just because it’s good creamy and it’s what I usually have accessible.
- Chickpeas – One can (about 1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed.
- Cheddar cheese – I need to make use of sharp cheddar for a beautiful cheesy improve of favor.
Variations/Variations
- Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Chickpea Noodle Casserole: Substitute vegan butter, vegan milk, and vegan cheddar, or it’s possible you’ll even miss the cheese solely. It’d correctly nonetheless have good sort!
- Vegan Chickpea Noodle Casserole: Miss the cheese and prime with breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs. You probably may even sauté some celery and purple bell pepper and/or add some cauliflower florets with the broccoli to increase the veggie draw back.
- Gluten-Free Chickpea Noodle Casserole: Use chickpea pasta or swap in brown rice pasta or one utterly completely different gluten-free pasta.
Strategies on be taught to Make Broccoli Cheddar Chickpea Noodle Casserole
First, you’ll want to arrange dinner the pasta, nonetheless solely to al dente (it will most probably put collectively dinner the rest of among the many best strategies all by the oven). All by the remaining couple of minutes of cooking the pasta, toss all by the broccoli so it’ll blanch. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and put apart.
Subsequent, you’ll make the creamy sauce. Merely sauté the onion, add the flour and seasonings and put collectively dinner, stirring usually, then add the garlic.
Slowly pour all by the broth and milk, stirring usually, until thick and rich.
Now, you’ll toss all by the cooked pasta and broccoli along with the chickpeas and different the cheddar. Vogue and add further salt and pepper all through the occasion you want.
Scoop the mixture evenly into the baking dish and prime with the rest of the cheese.
Bake until bubbly comfort meals casserole perfection and devour!
Strategies for Success
- Put collectively dinner the pasta JUST until al dente. In one other case, the easiest finish finish end result may need mushy, overcooked pasta.
- Put collectively dinner the flour for the full three minutes. That’s important to forestall any raw flour type.
Additional Chickpea Comfort Meals Recipes
Get Good Recipe Karma
Contained in the occasion you’re keen on this recipe (and even all through the occasion you don’t!) please, please, please come as quickly as further and go away a rating! It’s so helpful for me to substantiate this chickpea casserole recipe is sweet – and it’s good useful for diverse readers, too.
Broccoli Cheddar Chickpea Noodle Casserole
Creamy, cheesy, full-of-flavor and good satisfying! This cozy chickpea casserole hits your complete becoming notes and makes the right comfort-food meal.
- 8 ounces rotini pasta (I need to make use of chickpea rotini pasta to increase the protein)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (1/2-inch to 1-inch in dimension)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk (I reap the benefits of full-fat unsweetened oat milk nonetheless 2% or full milk work too)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (+ further to type)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly flooring black pepper (+ further to type)
- 15 ounces chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces; shredded; divided)
Preheat oven to 350°F and have an 8″x8″ baking dish ready.
Put collectively dinner the pasta JUST TO AL DENTE, consistent with bundle directions. When the pasta has about 2 minutes left to organize dinner, add the broccoli to the still-cooking pasta. Drain the pasta and broccoli and set it aside.
Set an infinite pot or skillet over medium heat. Soften the butter all by the pot, then add the onions. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, thyme, dry mustard, and smoked paprika and put collectively dinner, stirring always for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and put collectively dinner for however but yet another 30 seconds.
Slowly pour all by the vegetable broth, whisking always. Add the milk. Improve the heat to medium-high and put collectively dinner, stirring persistently, until thickened.
Stir all by the cooked pasta and broccoli, the drained can of chickpeas, and a pair of cups of the cheese. Vogue and add further salt and pepper if desired.
Pour the mixture into your baking dish and prime with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar, spreading it evenly extreme.
Bake until bubbly and the cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Serve.
Cowl tightly or change to an airtight container and retailer all by the fridge for as tons as 3 days. Warmth leftovers all by the microwave or gently over the stovetop (it’s possible you’ll add a splash of water or broth if wished).
Serving: 1g, Vitality: 493kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Ldl ldl ldl ldl cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 865mg, Potassium: 412mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1193IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 414mg, Iron: 5mg