This easy chickpea pasta salad is made with chickpea pasta, chickpeas, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, crumbled feta or goat cheese, and Italian dressing. It comes together in about 15 minutes for a simple, protein- and fiber-packed lunch, side dish, or meal prep recipe the whole family can enjoy.
If you need another lunch that requires VERY little thought, add this one to your rotation! Literally could make this in your sleep probably.
Pasta salad is one of my favorite make-ahead lunches because you can throw it together when you have a few extra minutes and pull it straight from the fridge when everyone is hungry. And using chickpea pasta is such an easy way to add a little more protein, fiber, and iron without making lunch any more complicated.
This version is intentionally SIMPLE. No homemade dressing or huge ingredient list required. Just cook the pasta, chop a couple of veggies, dump everything into a bowl, and toss with your favorite Italian dressing.
And because everything can easily be served separately, it works really well for toddlers who aren't quite ready for a big bowl of mixed foods, too!
Why You'll Love This Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Made with just 6 simple ingredients
- Great for meal prep and packed lunches
- An easy source of plant-based protein and fiber
- No homemade dressing required
- Easy to customize with whatever vegetables you have
- Can be served mixed together or deconstructed for toddlers
- Delicious cold, making it perfect for busy days
This is perfect to prep on Sunday evening, when you're already making pasta noodles for your veggie-packed sauce or Boursin pasta bake!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Ingredients You Need
- How to Make Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Tips for the Best Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Substitutions
- What Else Can I Add to Chickpea Pasta Salad?
- How to Cut the Vegetables for Toddlers
- Equipment
- Storing Your Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Toddler Dietitian Tiff's Tip for Chickpea Pasta Salad
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Easy Chickpea Pasta Salad
Ingredients You Need
Here's what you need to make this super easy chickpea pasta salad:
- Chickpea Pasta - Instead of traditional pasta, we're using chickpea pasta noodles as the base of this pasta salad. Chickpea pasta is made primarily from chickpeas, so it typically provides more protein and fiber than traditional white pasta (easy way to make a simple pasta salad a little more satisfying). Rotini or another short pasta shape works especially well because all those little curves grab onto the Italian dressing.
- Chickpeas - A can of chickpeas adds even more plant-based protein, fiber, and iron while also giving the pasta salad another texture. Drain and rinse them well before adding them to your salad.
- Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes add color, sweetness, and juiciness. Cherry or grape tomatoes are especially easy because all you need to do is slice them. If you're serving this pasta salad to young children, make sure to cut round tomatoes appropriately for their age and eating abilities.
- Cucumber - Cucumber adds a fresh crunch that works really well with the creamy cheese and Italian dressing. You can peel it or leave the skin on depending on your family's preference.
- Feta or Goat Cheese - Both work! Feta gives the pasta salad that classic Mediterranean-inspired salty flavor, while crumbled goat cheese is softer and creamier. Use whichever your family prefers or whatever you already have in the refrigerator.
- Italian Dressing - This is where we're keeping things EASY. Use your favorite store-bought Italian dressing and call it a day. If you're making this for toddlers, you can look for an option that's lower in sodium and added sugar when possible, but there's no need to stress over finding a "perfect" dressing. Or you can totally make your own!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chickpea Pasta Salad
- Cook the chickpea pasta according to package directions until just al dente, being careful not to overcook it.
- Drain and rinse the pasta briefly under cool water. Allow any excess water to drain.
- Add the pasta to a large bowl with the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and crumbled feta or goat cheese.
- Pour the Italian dressing over everything and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Add another splash of dressing before serving if needed.
Tips for the Best Chickpea Pasta Salad
For the best chickpea pasta salad, don’t overcook the pasta - chickpea pasta can get soft quickly, so cook it just until al dente. Rinse it briefly with cool water and let it drain really well before adding the other ingredients so the dressing doesn’t get watered down. Start with ⅓ cup Italian dressing, toss everything together, and add more as needed. If you’re making it ahead, save a little dressing to toss in right before serving since the pasta will absorb some as it sits.
Substitutions
Feel free to make whatever substitutions you need to fit your family's needs and taste buds!
- Chickpea pasta: You can use lentil pasta, whole-wheat pasta, or traditional pasta instead.
- Chickpeas: White beans are an easy substitute if that's what you have.
- Tomatoes: Try chopped bell peppers for another colorful, crunchy option.
- Cucumber: Zucchini or chopped bell peppers can work instead.
- Feta: Substitute crumbled goat cheese or small pieces of mozzarella.
- Italian dressing: Any Italian-style or Greek-style vinaigrette works. You can also use a simple combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning in a pinch.
What Else Can I Add to Chickpea Pasta Salad?
One of the best things about pasta salad is how customizable it is! Try adding spinach, chopped bell peppers, olives, shredded carrots, broccoli, avocado, artichoke hearts, or fresh herbs.
You could also add another protein such as shredded chicken if you want to make it even more substantial. But you definitely don't need to add anything else. The whole point of this recipe is that it's simple!
How to Cut the Vegetables for Toddlers
For younger littles, make sure you're modifying the ingredients based on their eating skills.
Cherry or grape tomatoes: Quarter lengthwise using a grape cuter rather than serving whole.
Cucumber: Cut into thin slices, small pieces, or another developmentally appropriate shape depending on your child's age and chewing abilities.
Chickpeas: For babies and younger toddlers who are still developing their chewing skills, gently flatten chickpeas with a fork before serving.
Equipment
You don’t need much to make this easy chickpea pasta salad! You’ll need a medium or large pot for cooking the pasta, a colander for draining and rinsing it, a cutting board and knife for chopping the tomatoes and cucumber, and a large mixing bowl for tossing everything together with the Italian dressing.
Storing Your Chickpea Pasta Salad
Store leftover chickpea pasta salad in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits, so you may want to add another small drizzle of Italian dressing before serving leftovers.
Give everything a good toss and enjoy it straight from the refrigerator. This makes it especially convenient for meal prep because there's no reheating required!
Toddler Dietitian Tiff's Tip for Chickpea Pasta Salad
Pasta salad doesn't have to be just pasta! One of the easiest ways to make it more substantial is to think about what you can add for protein, fiber, fat, and produce.
This chickpea pasta salad checks several of those boxes without requiring a bunch of extra ingredients:
Protein: chickpea pasta + chickpeas + cheese
Fiber: chickpea pasta + chickpeas + vegetables
Fat: feta or goat cheese + Italian dressing
Produce: tomatoes + cucumber
That combination makes it an easy option for lunch instead of pasta being the only thing on the plate.
FAQ
Yes! This is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare it, cover it, and refrigerate until you're ready to eat. You may want to add a little extra dressing right before serving.
For this cold pasta salad, I recommend rinsing the pasta briefly with cool water after draining. This stops the cooking process and cools the noodles so you can assemble the salad right away.
Chickpea pasta and chickpeas both contribute plant-based protein, while feta or goat cheese adds some additional protein. The exact amount will depend on the brands and quantities you use.
Yes. Cook the chickpea pasta first, then cool it before using it in this pasta salad. It's delicious served chilled or at room temperature.
Italian dressing or Greek dressing are easy options because of the tangy flavor pairs well with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and feta. It also means you don't have to make a separate homemade dressing (unless you want to!).
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with chickpea pasta salad:
Easy Chickpea Pasta Salad
Equipment
- measuring cup
- sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz box chickpea pasta such as rotini, penne, macaroni
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- ⅓ cup Italian or Greek dressing plus more as needed
Instructions
- Cook the chickpea pasta according to package directions until just al dente, being careful not to overcook.
- Drain the pasta and briefly rinse under cool water. Allow it to drain well.
- Add the cooled pasta, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and feta or goat cheese to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour ⅓ cup Italian dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and add additional dressing as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta: Chickpea pasta can become soft quickly, so cook it just until al dente for the best texture.
- Dressing: Start with ⅓ cup and add more as needed. If making the salad ahead, save a little dressing to toss with it just before serving.
- For toddlers: Quarter cherry or grape tomatoes lengthwise and modify the cucumber based on your child's eating abilities. Gently flatten chickpeas for younger eaters as needed.
- Mixed foods: If your toddler isn't into mixed foods yet, serve the pasta, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, and cheese separately with a little dressing for dipping.
- Lower sodium: Look for a lower-sodium Italian dressing and rinse canned chickpeas thoroughly. Feta and dressing can both contribute quite a bit of sodium, so you can also use less feta or swap in a lower-sodium cheese like mozzarella pearls or small mozzarella cheese cubes.
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