Hummus Pasta
Hummus pasta is one of the quickest, easiest lunches you can make: cooked linguine or tagliatelle tossed with a scoop of hummus, a splash of pasta water, and a handful of baby spinach until everything turns into a creamy, savory sauce. There is no separate sauce to simmer and no dairy involved. It is ready in about ten minutes, and it is the recipe I reach for whenever I have leftover homemade hummus and no patience for anything complicated.
In all honesty, I had thought about combining hummus and pasta for ages, every time I made too much of a good dip, but something kept me from actually doing it. I finally overcame that about a month ago. I had some leftover homemade hummus, so I boiled some pasta, added nutritional yeast for extra flavor, some chives, and some baby spinach (hummus and spinach go together perfectly, I hope you know!), and I ended up with one of the quickest lunches of my life. Simple, quick, and efficient are the three main things I look for in a recipe, and this one delivers all three.
What you need to make it
The ingredient list is short, which is exactly the point. You will need 200 g of linguine or tagliatelle, half a cup of hummus, a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a cup of baby spinach, chopped chives, a little extra olive oil, white pepper, and salt. A few notes on the ones that matter most:
- Hummus is the whole sauce here, so its quality decides the dish. Homemade is best. As I like to say, it may not have the same flavor if you do not use a high-quality hummus (which is rarely available in supermarkets, if you ask me), but a good store-bought tub will still work. A classic lemony hummus keeps things bright and fresh.
- Nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy depth without any dairy. One tablespoon is enough to round out the sauce.
- Baby spinach wilts in seconds from the residual heat, so it stays tender rather than soggy. Hummus and spinach are a natural pair.
- Pasta water is not optional. Save about 2 tablespoons before you drain, because that starchy liquid is what loosens the thick hummus into a silky sauce that clings to the noodles.
How to get it creamy every time
The trick to this recipe is treating the hummus like an emulsion rather than a spread. Hummus on its own is too thick to coat pasta, but the starch in the reserved cooking water thins it just enough while helping it grip the noodles. Add the pasta water a little at a time and stir off the heat first, then return the pot to a low flame only long enough to warm everything through and wilt the spinach. A few things worth keeping in mind:
- Cook the pasta to al dente, around 8 minutes, so it holds its bite once it meets the warm sauce. If you want a refresher on judging doneness, this al dente guide is handy.
- Do not boil the sauce. High heat can make hummus split and turn grainy, so keep the flame gentle and stir constantly.
- Taste before serving. Hummus is already salted, so add your salt and white pepper at the end rather than the start.
- Finish each plate with chives and a drizzle of olive oil right before eating for the freshest flavor and a bit of shine.
My go-to busy-day lunch
I love serving this hummus pasta for lunch whenever I have a super busy day full of work. On days like that I do not like to think about what I am going to eat, because that always stresses me out. So I just think about this quick hummus pasta and the world becomes a better place again. This way I know I will have my lunch ready in ten minutes. I also love that it is a one-pot dish, the same reason I keep coming back to my one-pot Italian pasta: fewer dishes, less fuss, more time back in the day. And I have not even mentioned the economic side of things, since a half cup of leftover hummus and a handful of pasta stretches a long way.
Make-ahead, storage, and swaps
This is a dish best eaten right away, while the sauce is warm and creamy and the spinach is just wilted. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or a little more olive oil to bring the sauce back together, since it firms up when chilled. I would not recommend freezing it, as the hummus sauce loses its smooth texture. To get ahead, keep a batch of homemade hummus ready in the fridge; that is really the only make-ahead step this recipe needs. If you are always hunting for ways to use up a tub, my roundup of the best hummus recipes and these chickpea recipes will keep you busy. A few easy swaps: use any long pasta you like, trade the baby spinach for arugula or chopped kale, or stir in a squeeze of lemon for extra brightness.
And that is about all I wanted to say about this incredibly easy hummus pasta. Next time you have some leftover hummus, give it a try. If you do, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me which pasta you used and whether you kept it classic with spinach or went for your own greens. I would love to hear how your bowl turned out.
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Hummus Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g linguine or tagliatelle pasta
- ½ cup hummus homemade
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp chives chopped
- extra olive oil to taste
- white pepper
- salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
- Add salt and pasta.
- Cook about 8 minutes until pasta is al dente.
- Discard the pasta water, save about 2 Tbsp.
- In the same pot, add hummus and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
- Add baby spinach, white pepper, and 2 Tbsp pasta water. Set the pot back to the heat and give it a quick stir to combine ingredients, get spinach wilted and liquids soaked.
- Serve immediately with chopped chives and drizzled olive oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe uses pasta, hummus, nutritional yeast, baby spinach, chives, olive oil, white pepper, and salt, all of which are plant-based. The nutritional yeast stands in for the cheesy, savory note without any dairy, so the whole dish is fully vegan as long as your pasta and hummus contain no animal products.
The key is reserved pasta water. Save about 2 tablespoons before draining, then stir it into the hummus off the heat so the starch loosens it into a silky sauce. Add the water gradually and keep the heat low, because boiling can make the hummus split and turn grainy.
Long pasta like linguine or tagliatelle works beautifully because the creamy sauce clings to the strands. That said, any pasta shape you have on hand will do. Cook it to al dente, around 8 minutes, so it keeps its bite once it is tossed with the warm sauce.
Absolutely. Homemade hummus gives the best flavor since it is the main sauce, but a good-quality store-bought tub works well too. Because supermarket hummus can be milder, taste as you go and adjust the salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or a little olive oil to loosen the sauce again, since it firms up when chilled. Freezing is not recommended because the hummus sauce loses its smooth texture.
Yes. Baby spinach is the classic addition, but you can swap in arugula or chopped kale, or fold in extra greens. For more substance, stir through some chickpeas or roasted vegetables, keeping in mind the dish is meant to stay quick and simple.
Why didn’t I think about this before?! One of the best ideas in the world! <3 Thank you, Ruxandra!