At long last, I’m sharing the recipe I’ve probably made the most since Adriana started eating solids (which somehow feels like forever ago and just yesterday at the same time). I’ve had so many requests for this recipe, but never got around to sharing it because it would always be devoured right away, leaving no time for photos. Last week, I finally made it in the morning so I’d have a bit of time to snap a few shots.
I use the term “recipe” lightly here because I never measure the ingredients for this pasta; not having to measure anything is part of its beauty and ease. I measured it here so you can get a feel for it, but once you do, I encourage you to throw caution to the wind and wing it! It’s really hard to mess up. You can often find me glugging marinara, spooning hummus, and dumping hemp hearts with abandon into the cooked pasta. The quicker the better, especially when there’s a hangry toddler screaming “Paaaaaaaasta!” at your feet.
Not only is this pasta fast and delicious, it packs in tons of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. You can also change it up and customize it so many different ways—I’ve provided a few ideas in the recipe, but I’d love to hear what you come up with, too!
I’ve been hesitant to share “toddler-friendly” recipes on here because I’ve learned a few things about feeding a toddler: 1) what they claim to love and hate changes by the day (or minute), 2) toddler likes and dislikes are not one size fits all, and 3) the food my daughter loved at one year old (virtually everything!) is certainly not what she loves at two years old (this age is much more hot and cold, as she loves to assert her independence). It’s not uncommon for me to think I’ve found a foolproof toddler-friendly recipe to share with you, only for it to then be rejected for a month straight. (And I once read that a little one often needs 20 exposures to the same food before they take to it, too.) Luckily, my dear recipe tester, Nicole, runs a daycare and she shares most of my recipes with her daycare children, which gives me a much better idea whether a recipe will be, generally speaking, a winner. I’m happy to say this one was enjoyed!
Anyway, I’m sure we’ll have a mix of “my baby/toddler/kid loved this” and “my kiddo only ate one bite” in the comments—that’s just the nature of the beast. (And by “beast” I mean toddler, in a sometimes cute/sometimes scary kinda way…am I right?) But my hope is that some of you will be able to fall back on this recipe as often as we do. I don’t know what I’d do without it as it’s just so easy. Oh, and yes, us adults like it too, so even if you don’t have kids you may want to give it a try on those busy, too-tired-to-cook weeknights. It’s great paired with a simple side salad and Lemon-Tahini Dressing, which can be thrown together while the pasta cooks.
Adriana's Fave 10-Minute Pasta
Yield
4 (adult-size) servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I’ve made this pasta countless times for our family; it’s hard to beat how fast and nutritious it is, and it can be changed up so many ways. It packs in around 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fibre per (adult-size) serving (depending on which kind of pasta you use, of course—see my notes), not to mention healthy fats from the hemp hearts. My advice if you’re in a rush is to start heating up the water first, before you gather any other ingredients, as it can take some time for the water to come to a boil. If you happen to have a batch of my Fail-Proof Marinara Sauce from Oh She Glows Every Day (p. 175) on hand, it works wonderfully in this dish. Of course, store-bought marinara works just as well, too.
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 1 box (340 g/12 ounces) rotini or fusilli pasta*
- 2 cups (500 mL) marinara sauce
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 mL to 125 mL) hummus
- 1/4 cup (35 g) hemp hearts
Optional add-ins:
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Frozen peas or other veggies**
- Cooked lentils or beans
- Fresh spinach or basil, minced in food processor
- Puréed cooked carrots or cauliflower***
Directions
- Add water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for it to boil, gather the rest of the ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta sticking.
- Drain the cooked pasta well and place it back into the pot. Stir in the marinara, hummus, and hemp hearts until combined. Taste and add a bit of salt or other mix-ins if desired.
- Heat over low until warmed throughout. If serving this pasta to a little one, spread a scoop of pasta out on a plate to gently cool it before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. To reheat, add the pasta into a pot along with a bit of extra marinara sauce (this adds moisture back) and stir to combine. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed throughout.
Tip:
* I typically use whole-grain kamut pasta. And sometimes, I mix in a bit of red lentil pasta for a protein boost. Feel free to use any kind of pasta you and your family enjoy!
** To quickly thaw frozen peas, add them to the pot during the last minute or two of cooking the pasta.
*** When I have time, I love to steam or boil carrots (or cauliflower) and then purée them until smooth. Then I stir the puréed veggies directly into the pasta. It’s an easy way to add even more nutrition without impacting the flavour too much.
This pasta goes lovely with a simple side salad and garlic bread. If your little one isn't a salad fan, try giving them small lettuce leaves for dipping into the dressing.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Last but not least, be sure to follow me on Instagram if you aren’t already! I have an exciting Vitamix and OSG cookbook giveaway coming up!
Hummus in pasta actually sounds so good!! Thanks for the inspiration, as always. Xo
This is amazing. It tastes like you added a splash of heavy cream to the dish without the animal protein/fat! It’s easy to make a big pot of marinara and pasta and keep it in the fridge for quick weekday meals. I nuke it for a minute or so with a spoonful of hummus mixed in. I’ve been eating it for breakfast it’s so good :)
Genius Angela!! Thank you!
This is now one of my go to recipe’s LOVED it!!!!
My kids and other family members loves the Pasta so much! Thanks for the recipe. Oh i just forget to mention the presentation@@. Great presentation i.e. anyone will edger to eat them at a glance.
Thank you! I’m so happy the recipe’s a hit.
I seem to always have these ingredients on hand. I’ll have to try it. Though my girls are closer to tweens at this point, I am sure they would love it!
Hi Angela – Brilliant recipe everyone should do at home. I have visitors today and I shall be cooking this. Wish me luck, though the way you laid out the description makes it so simple. Today lunch is pasta and hummus. Thanks a lot. From the Omigy family.
Hi Angela,
Love this pasta dish! I use it all the time when I haven’t pre-planned a meal and need something quick and yummy. Thanks. On another note, re: cocoa powder, do you only use natural cocoa powder in all your dessert recipes? I know you use it for anything requiring baking soda but what about your recipes that call for baking powder like your fudgy black bean brownies or the brownie breakfast bake. Am I supposed to use the dutch pressed cocoa powder for those or can you still use the natural one? I thought you shouldn’t use natural with baking powder. Sorry for my confusion…
Hey Joanna, I’m so happy you love this pasta so much! Regarding your question: Yes, you are right about the distinction between natural and dutch cocoas! I tend to only use dutch-proceed unsweetened cocoa powder (my go-to brand is Cuisine Camino) in all my recipes. It says to use it in recipes that call for baking powder (but I probably have a few where I’ve used it in recipes with baking soda, too). In other words, you can assume dutch-processed in my recipes, unless you see otherwise. :)
Hi Angela,
Thanks so much for the reply! I just wanted to clarify your comments. I have both your books (yum!) and in both your pantry sections you mention using natural cocoa powder in your recipes but in your reply you mentioned using Dutch processed. I mostly stick to your savoury recipes but I want to try some of your desserts and just want to make sure I don’t mess them up. ?
Will be trying this recipe on the family this week. Angela, please share as many family friendly recipes as possible. As a working mom, who also wants to feed her family real food, I appreciated this post with variations and shortcuts. Not always possible to find the time to cut up and cook multi-step recipes. And over the years, I have found that the less effort I put into supper, the more they love it!
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to let you know that the link for your Vegan Broccoli and Cheese Soup is down on your website. Was really looking forward to trying that recipe.
Thanks,
Maurice
Hi Maurice,
Thank you, we had some problems with the website but they should be fixed now. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I just discovered this one today and made it tonight for both of my kids (5&7) who loved it! I used my own home-made red-pepper hummus and skipped the hemp seeds. It was definitely a hit and so quick/easy to make that it will likely become a frequent meal for us. Thanks for the great idea!
Hi Angela! Long-time fan and first-time poster! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Since you noted the ‘ease’ of preparing this, I was wondering if you have any other thoughts/tips on easy/quick cooking? I recently started reading about the “Instant Pot.” Do you have any thoughts on that? As always, thanks for your wonderful recipes, insights, and stories!
Hey Kate, Oh that Instant Pot is all over, eh? I’m sad to say that I don’t have one so I’m not able to give tips for it. But in terms of tips on speedy cooking, two things I rely on every week are 1) leftovers (not glamorous, but we don’t mind them so I tend to make meals that have ample leftovers!), and 2) If I’m making a recipe which calls for a lot of chopped veggies or other prep work, I will often try to chop them in advance whenever possible (like the night before). It makes cooking the meal much less daunting the next day. Hope this helps :) Happy cooking
Thanks so much! Such a good reminder about the leftovers!
My hubby is allergic to cashews, what could I use instead??
Hey Rose-ann, Happily, this particular pasta recipe doesn’t call for any cashews. Did you maybe have another recipe in mind? Please let me know, and I’ll do my best to offer you a substitution, if possible!
This looks so yummy. I especially like the toddler friendly… My son has suddenly turned so picky! I’m going to have to try this!
I hope it’s a hit with your little guy, Heather!
Those pasta. I want some! :)
Hello,
Random question (because I’m obsess with dinnerwave) : what’s the brand of the plate?
Thanks in advance
Lula
Hey Lula, I think it might be from Ikea! (But I’m not 100% sure on that.)
Loved this pasta! It was incredibly quick and easy and delicious. I’ve never put hummus in pasta, but highly recommend it. My whole family loved this dish.
I’m happy it was a hit, Susan!
This recipe sounds great! I also love to cook a quick meal of pasta and a sauce with whatever ingredients or even leftovers I have at that moment. However I really like to do something with tomatoes :)
x, Anova
http://amodernletter.com
My youngest girl loves chickpeas and I cannot wait to use hummus for pasta. I am 100% confident she ‘ll love it. Hummus = chickpeas, so we are about to taste some of the best pastas in the world.
PS. I agree about the beast could define toddlers, but toddlers are so great that we forget the beast that is in them ;)
Hummus def made it really creamy! I added a bunch of mushrooms just bc i love mushrooms and a grain mix instead of hemp hearts, and loved the extra texture of the grains