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.
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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!
Made this with Trader Joe’s spinach and chive linguine and arrabiata sauce. It came together in under 10 minutes. Will definitely be making this regularly!
Oh that sounds good, Lili! Wish we had TJ’s here in Canada.
You’ve done it again. I’m drinking this sauce. So quick/simple/easy/GENIUS!!!! Thank you for making the world taste better.
haha love this comment…thank you Lizzy!!
My kids loved it!!!! They don’t normally like pasta sauce so I was surprised and pleased.
That’s great news Jackie! Thanks for letting me know :)
Can I throw in some lentils when I’m cooking the pasta?
Hey Lindsay, Oh that’s a fun idea. I think you could if you timed the lentil vs pasta cooking time (so if the lentils needed a longer cook time you may want to throw them in early?). I haven’t tried this before, so I’d love to hear how it goes if you do!
Do you think this pasta sauce is freezable??
Hey Amy, Oh good question! I haven’t tried freezing it before, but I’d think it should be fine. My only concern would be the hummus changing texture a bit when thawed, but probably wouldn’t be a big issue. If you try it please let us know how it goes!
One of my favourite go-to quick dinners. I keep the marinara sauce portioned out in mason jars and frozen. Very satisfying meal.
Hey Kim, That’s such a great idea to portion and freeze the sauce! I will have to try this sometime
Mind Blowing Recipe. Tried it last weekend & it was just awesome. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe with us.
Wow, thank you so much…I’m so happy you love it as much as we do :)
The pasta looks absolutely delicious. Would try mixing a pinch of peri-peri to it. What do you think about it?
I kept seeing this recipe but was too afraid to try it… but, oh my goodness, new favorite quick recipe!! The hummus tastes amazing in this, not weird at all! I should have known, I’ve never been let down by your recipes, but this one surprised me. Thank you!! :)
So glad to hear you loved it! :)
Hi there! Does this freeze well?
Hey Janiece, I haven’t tried freezing the sauce so unfortunately I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try though!
Adding hummus to pasta was the best advice I have ever read! It’s the only way my 4-year-old will eat beans (she doesn’t know they’re in there). The hummus makes pasta so nice and creamy.
Aww thank you Amanda…I was so excited when I discovered that trick too. :)
This is so amazing thank you for the easy recipe! I am definitely going to be making this at least every week. It seriously tastes great!
Thanks Katerina…I’m glad you love it as much as we do :)
HEEELLLLLPPPPPP! I love this recipe and so do my toddlers, but I am in need of some serious help. You mentioned in your blog that you have some toddler approved recipes. Please share which ones those would be. I would be so very grateful!
thanks
What flavor of hummus would you suggest?
Hey Tara, I use classic, but I think any kind you like should be fun. :)
This recipe is SO GOOD!! I’d love to try adding pureed veggies next time. How much of each kind would you suggest adding? Would any others work, too, in addition to carrots or cauliflower? I love how nutrient-packed this can be made!!
Hey Megan, So glad you love it as much as we do!! I would probably start small if adding pureed steamed veggies like cauliflower or carrot…because they thicken it quite a bit. Maybe try 1/2 cup and see what you think & go from there?
Hello,
I’m new to this whole plant-based/ vegan thang, what kind of hemp hearts should I use? I live in the US, and in my local grocery stores they have shelled/ hulled hemp hearts, would that be okay to use in your recipes?
Looking forward to making!
Hey Sarah, Yes those are perfect! Sometimes they are called hemp hearts, shelled hemp seeds, hulled hemp seeds, but they are all the same thing. Just make sure the shell has been removed (I rarely ever see non-shelled hemp in stores). Good luck with your plant-based goals!!
Well, this is a favourite of a 50 and 75 year old! We may have the overall mentality of a toddler though. Never would have thought about adding hummus to pasta but it was great! Had also never used hemp hearts and now that I have them, I’m popping them in everything! Gluten free pasta worked just great in this recipe.
This just might be one of my favourite comments of all time…lol! Love it. Thanks for letting us know how it went!
Made this for supper tonight for my 14 month old who has become a lot more selective about his food……and he inhaled the whole bowl! Thanks for such an easy recipe, this is definitely going on our regular menu.
I was a bit skeptical about putting hummus into pasta when I first saw this recipe come out. I decided to give it a try because Angela’s tastes are always on point! Sure enough, this has been yet another Oh She Glows staple in my house for years. Much more filling than regular tomato pasta and more cost-effective than cashew cream. Thanks Ange!
Juste wanted to let you know that we have been making this recipe a lot in the last few years! So simple, so quick, and on the healthy side too! This kind of quick, no-fuss recipe is what is sometimes missing in vegan cuisine, I find. Especially with kids, when everyone is hungry and we cannot make breakfast for dinner a second night in a row. For us, I find it easy to throw together a quick salad with what we have on hand, but reality is that the kids won’t eat that. And recipes often aren’t really 20 minutes until on the table, but this is. Would loooooove to have a kids-friendly, weeknights-friendly OSG post (or book, if I’m to daydream about something, heh).