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Pasta with cauliflower and chickpea sauce

You can make this pasta with cauliflower and chickpea sauce with your favourite minced meat or vegan alternative. Also you can use gluten-free pasta and serve the dish with dairy-free cheese. It’s a filling yet healthy dish; the sauce can be chilled for several days or frozen.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g minced meat or meat-free mince
  • 400 g pasta of your choice
  • 1 onion
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp tomato purée
  • 1 small head cauliflower
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 tin plum tomatoes
  • 1 handful of parsley
  • 1 tin chickpeas

Method
 

  1. Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the mince until it changes colour. If you’re using meat-free mince, follow the instructions on the packet. Set aside.
  2. Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
  3. Roughly chop the cauliflower and red pepper.
  4. Heat some oil a large pot and gently sauté the onion, carrot, garlic and celery pieces over low heat. This should take bout 10 minutes.
  5. Add the chopped cauliflower, red pepper and oregano. Stir for a minute then add the tomato purée.
  6. Stir for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and, using the tin, add enough water to cover everything well. Add the stock cube.
  7. Bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside (covered).
  9. Using a stick blender, purée the soup.
  10. Add the mince and cook for another 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick add more water.
  11. Finally add the drained chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.
  12. Serve the pasta with the sauce and some grated Parmesan or plant based alternative.