Name: Lemon Hummus Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices; 1 onion, chopped (1 cup); ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper; ½ cup thinly sliced carrot; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved; 12 oz. whole grain penne pasta; 1 8-oz. container oil-free hummus (see tip in recipe intro); 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp. dried oregano; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Fresh oregano, lemon wedges, and/or sliced Kalamata olives (optional)

Prep-time: 20 minutes / Ready In: 30 minutes
Makes 10 cups
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Hummus is a savvy shortcut for creamy-without-the-cream pasta, and lemon zest and fresh oregano add a touch of tanginess. This easy-to-make pasta is tasty chilled, too. Just give it a stir right before serving.

Tip: Oil-free hummus brands we like include Oasis Zero Fat Original Hommus, Roots Oil-Free Original Hummus, and Cedar’s Fat & Oil-Free Hummus. You can also make your own using our Oil-Free Hummus recipe.

By Nancy Macklin, RDN, Apr 21, 2021

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 onion, chopped (1 cup)
¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup thinly sliced carrot
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
12 oz. whole grain penne pasta
1 8-oz. container oil-free hummus (see tip in recipe intro)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp. dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh oregano, lemon wedges, and/or sliced Kalamata olives (optional)

Instructions

In a large skillet cook the first five ingredients (through garlic) over medium 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 Tbsp. at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1 to 2 minutes or just until heated through. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. In a small bowl stir together hummus, lemon zest, lemon juice, and oregano. Add to pasta, tossing to coat. Add vegetables; toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to make creamy.
Season with salt and black pepper. If desired, serve with additional fresh oregano, lemon wedges, and/or olives.

tags:

30 minutes or less

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7 Comments

Comments (7)

(4.67 from 6 votes)

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Linda Franklin6 months ago

I made this for company that eat plant based and we all loved it. I would definitely make this again. I used more lemon zest and lemon juice to have a stronger lemon flavor. I didn’t use oil free hummus–just regular plain hummus. I didn’t find this bland at all. Had a lot of flavor. Requires alot of prep of the veggies. Took me more than 20 minutes to chop everything.

Marlene [email protected]11 months ago

Excellent!!

Rhonda2 years ago

This was so good! I typically don’t like penne pasta so I used Angel hair. Well penne will definitely mix with the hummus better. Putting that aside, the hummus with the lemon was perfection and the kalamata olives were the perfect tough. I’ll definitely be making this again…with penne.

Aishah2 years ago

Decided to make this recipe because I actually had all of the ingredients on hand (used yellow squash instead of zucchini). It’s a nice change of pace and pretty tasty, but the verdict is still out on if I’d make it again. It’s also good to know that you could probably add any vegetable, maybe spinach or broccoli.

Bernadet2 years ago

Can I buy this hummus in Europe somewhere?

Melissa2 years ago

Hummus is very easy to make on your own.

Evan Potts2 years ago

This is delicious. Using the hummus to make things creamy is genius. And I love hummus.

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about the author

Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.

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