A super fresh, super summery Lemon Herb Pasta Salad! Packed with tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of parmesan to top it off.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
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This was amazing! My kids complained this was the third chickpea meal in two weeks and then went back for seconds. Next time I’ll make a double batch 🙂 Thank you!
Gretchen
This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo
Consider this your weekly (daily?) reminder that really delicious food does not need to be complicated.
The basics – garlic, lemon, herbs, olive oil – are prepared to deliver. They are usually somewhere in the pantry or fridge, and they are always going to serve us well.
I give you Exhibit A: The Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas which involves deliciously squishy pasta coated in a silky “sauce” of olive oil and lemon juice (I’m all about no-recipe dressings), tossed with chickpeas that have been soaking in a flavor bath of fresh garlic and herbs and such, and finished with more herbs and lots of salt and pepper and some Parmesan cheese. Is it good warm? Is it good cold? Is it good as a side or a main or a… snack? The answer to all of the above is Y-E-S.
This is all you need:
- Chewy, tender, appropriately noodley pasta
- Hearty little chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Basil and parsley
- GARRRRLIC
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
Thank you for understanding the amount of effort I’m prepared to give right now (minimal) and the delicious results I am expecting in return (major).
This served me so right on both levels.
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“Marinated chickpeas” is how you make it FEEL fancy, but all it really is is giving a shot of big garlic / lemon / herb flavor into the whole thing with very little effort.
First, grab your pantry ingredients. DeLallo all the way.
We’re working with fewer ingredients here, so QUALITY MATTERS! Phenomenally textured authentic Italian pasta, good solid olive oil that actually, um, tastes like olive oil, and a can of never-fails-you chickpeas, and you’re basically halfway there.
The pasta gets cooked.
The chickpeas get… marinated. Overnight would be ideal, but lol. If you are short on time, I promise your mouth will still be happy with the work that’s been done. Just let the chickpeas hang out with all their flavors while you prep the rest. If you are bold, give them a little mashing with a fork so they soak up some extra flavor.
Toss with herbs and cheese and salt and pepper and lemon zest and the other good things you like….
And YOU’RE EATING THIS YUMMY LUNCH.
Or second lunch. Or bedtime snack.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas – it is there for you this week. THERE. FOR. YOU.
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Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A super fresh, super summery Lemon Herb Pasta Salad! Packed with tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of parmesan to top it off.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Marinated Chickpeas
- one 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (DeLallo)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, grated or crushed into a paste
- a generous squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pasta
Instructions
- Prepare marinated chickpeas by combining everything together in a shallow bowl. For the best flavor, allow this to marinate for 8 hours or overnight. But hey, if you don’t have the time, just let it all hang out while you prep the rest of the pasta. It’s all good.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. While pasta is hot, toss with marinated chickpeas and allow to cool slightly.
- Add more olive oil (as needed). Add lemon juice and zest and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add in Parmesan cheese last so it doesn’t completely melt. Serve warm, cold, or room temp with extra lemon, Parmesan, and herbs as needed!
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pasta salad, lemon herb, chickpeas, marinated chickpeas, DeLallo, summer salad, herb salad
Thank you to DeLallo for sponsoring this post!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of healthy chickpea recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Healthy Legume Lemon Lunch Meal Prep Pasta Recipes Salads Sides Summer Vegetarian
July 23, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Do I drain the chickpeas from the marinade first or does all of it go in the pasta? Thanks
All of it goes in!
I love to make this recipe for bbqs or potlucks! It’s always a crowd-pleaser.
This salad was DELICIOUS! and easy to make. It’s a keeper 🙂
Hi! So to confirm, you only use half the bag of pasta (8oz) vs the whole bag?
That’s correct!
The recipe says grated parm but the pic has shredded. Which do you recommend
This is the second time that I have made this pasta and it is SO GOOD! I used Barilla Protein+ Farfalle noodles just to give it some extra staying power. Love that it is a meatless option. The lemon and herbs are so bright and fresh. You won’t be disappointed if you make this recipe!
Fantastic! I added arugula for extra veggies and it’s so, so good! I’ll be adding watercress or kale next time! This is my go to pasta salad now!
This Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas sounds absolutely delightful! The vibrant combination of tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, and fresh herbs creates a refreshing dish that’s perfect for summer. The use of high-quality olive oil not only enhances the flavor but also adds a rich, smooth texture to the salad, tying all the ingredients together beautifully. I love how versatile it is—great as a main dish, side, or even a snack! Plus, the simplicity of the recipe makes it easy to whip up without any fuss. This is definitely a meal that everyone will enjoy!
This is really good! We have been absolutely loving it – made it twice in 2 weeks!
It’s a truly great summer side dish – goes with just about anything grilled. It’s mostly pantry staples too! I only had to buy parsley. I did buy farfalle, but only because I wanted to stick to the recipe as written. I’m sure you could use any small pasta though.
For sure marinade the chick peas as long as possible! The 2nd time, an unexpected change of plans forced me to marinade the chick peas for 3 days and they were still fantastic.. This is a keeper.
This was delicious and hearty! I served it alongside your honey chipotle chicken skewers and both were a huge hit. I used Trader Joe’s Greek chick peas, which brought additional flavor. I loved the brightness of the lemon zest. The leftovers were even better and it is great at any temperature. Thanks!
We’ve been making this like once a week! It just screams summer-time!
despise chickpea’s what else could be used just a bunch of chopped veg, like peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots?
TJs sells chickpeas marinated in these exact ingredients 🙌🏻 dinner made easy!
Any harm in including the herbs with the marinade? I read ‘mix everything together in a shallow bowl’ and didn’t realize the herbs were not included in that ‘everything’.
No big deal – should be just fine!
This was so delicious! Very bright, lemony, and garlicky. Everyone loved it!
This is a favorite! So easy, packed with protein (I use chickpea pasta), and super yummy. It’s been my go-to side dish for all summer events!
Is the 1 cup chopped basil and parsley 1 cup each or 1 cup total?
We’d suggest a 1/2 cup total – so about 1/4 cup basil and 1/4 cup parsley.
Although this was tasty, it was rather boring. If I were to make it again, I would add some other vegetables to make it more interesting; tomatoes and broccoli perhaps.
This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a recipe I’ve made…if you’re on the fence about this pasta salad, just make it because it’s the best thing ever! I’m not normally a pasta salad gal but thought what the heck, it’s summer, let’s bring this bad boy to the potluck, and wow am I glad I did! I almost ate it all myself beforehand…so I subbed goat cheese for Parmesan because I didn’t have any, did penne because my Aldi didn’t have the right kind of pasta, and added grape tomatoes. 10/10 delish!! The marinated chickpeas would make a feast all on their own. Great recipe!
Wonderfully delicious and easy to make. I added sliced cherry tomatos and basil for our picnic with friends.
Just made this and only marinated the chickpeas while preparing the other ingredients. It came out delicious so I will be preparing it this way from now on.
Making this recipe for the second time today. Made it for a gathering a few weeks ago and everyone raved about how good it was! Question. I have time to marinate my chickpeas this go round. Should I marinate them in the refrigerator or just leave them out? Thanks so much!!
Chickpeas with pasta are delicious! Adding basil, parsley & lemon flavors delicious!
Your recipes are consistently my go to and this one did not disappoint. Thank you!
Its nice recipe and never heard before about this dish thanks for posting this valueable information.
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