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Protein Packed Chickpea with Sausage & Pasta

A cozy, protein-packed pasta dinner made with Italian sausage, chickpeas, and a silky tomato-based sauce. Simple ingredients, easy steps, and perfect for a nourishing weeknight meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 People
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz penne pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
  • 6 –8 Italian sausage links
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 –2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups reserved pasta water
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • Parsley optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven
  • Stock Pot for cooking Pasta

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta; reserve 2 cups water, then drain.
  2. Brown sausage in Dutch oven, then bake at 400°F for 15 min. Slice.
  3. Sauté onions 4–5 min.
  4. Add chickpeas, tomato paste, garlic, seasoning, and sausage. Cook 2–3 min.
  5. Add pasta water and salt; simmer 3 min.
  6. Fold in pasta and serve with parmesan.

Notes

Notes:
  • Reserve pasta water for best sauce texture.It creates a smoother, silkier sauce.
  • Add extra pasta water when reheating
  • Ghee is great for browning sausage because it has a higher smoke point than butter.
  • Using a Dutch oven makes this whole dish easier and doubles as a beautiful serving pot. With the lid on, it stores leftovers perfectly.
  • For gentle reheating: place the cold Dutch oven (with lid) into a cold oven. Turn oven to 250–300°F and let it slowly warm for 1–2 hours — perfect for busy evenings.