Looking for an easy-to-cook, easy-to-clean, delicious-to-eat dinner? This Hummus Pasta is healthy, scrumptious, and only requires one pot and 30 minutes to make!
The creamy hummus acts as a flavorful base to make a citrusy sauce with lemon juice and fresh garlic. Plus, the fresh basil gives it a fresh and herbaceous finish, making this a dreamy pasta to enjoy either hot or cold.
As a busy mom and environmental scientist, One-Pot recipes are my absolute favorite! Less clean-up means we save on both time and water! Win, win.
And with less than ten ingredients and less than 30 minutes, this vegan one-pot pasta recipe just ticks all the boxes.
Green tip: Speaking of cleanup, if you have a dishwasher-use it! Comparing dishwashing to handwashing, using an efficient dishwasher uses 1/6th the amount of water to get your dishes clean!
Hummus Pasta Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Short pasta. Any will do! I used Rotini.
- Reserved pasta water. This will help loosen your hummus sauce.
- Olive oil. To cook your mushrooms in.
- Mushrooms. Baby bells or white button mushrooms are preferred.
- Garlic. For extra flavor.
- Fresh basil. You can use both the leaves and stems.
- Lemon juice. One lemon should give you enough juice for this recipe.
- Hummus. Store-bought or you can make your own hummus.
- Salt & pepper. To ramp up the flavor.
One-Pot Hummus Pasta Tips and Tricks
Start with the Pasta
In order to cook this meal in 30 minutes, it’s best to start by boiling 10 cups of water in a large pot. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the box.
This versatile recipe works with any short pasta.
What Is Short Pasta?
Short pasta is, well, exactly as it sounds! Pasta that is shorter like penne rather than longer like spaghetti.
Pictured here, I used Gemelli, but I’ve made this recipe with almost every short pasta under the sun. My favorite pasta options for this recipe are: Cavatappi, Fusilli, Rotini, Farfalle, Penne, Rigatoni, and Ziti.
Green tip: Pasta is a great meal option carbon footprint-wise! Manufacturing pasta is a relatively less intensive process, using less energy and other natural resources to produce than most other starches. Plus, its long shelf-life means you’re less likely to waste it!
Saving Your Pasta Water
Right before straining your pasta when it’s cooked, dip your measuring cup or any heat-safe cup with a handle into the boiling water and scoop some out. You will probably only end up using about 1/4 cup of the water, but it can’t hurt to have extra.
The pasta water is used in the recipe to achieve the right consistency. The hummus and lemon on the pasta alone may still be a little thick and dense.
Pasta water is starchy and a little salty and will help achieve a looser consistency without being watery. We will add it just a little at a time, stirring as we go, to make sure we get our Hummus Pasta exactly how we want it!
Prepping Your Ingredients
To have this meal in under 30 minutes, it’s best to organize yourself so that you are prepping your ingredients as your pasta is cooking and cooling.
Get your water boiling first with a pinch of salt, add the pasta and then get going on the rest of your ingredients.
If you decide to make your own hummus, do that first. Then, you can juice your lemon and chop your mushrooms and basil and mince your garlic.
Use both the stems and leaves of the basil. The stems carry a lot of flavors, plus, it’s best to use all parts of fresh ingredients when you can to avoid food waste.
Use Fresh Ingredients
This recipe relies on fresh, flavorful ingredients to achieve deep flavor with minimal ingredients. That means using fresh ingredients is best! Use fresh-squeezed lemon rather than lemon juice, and fresh basil rather than dried.
You can also opt to make your own hummus. It’s simple to make, saves you some money, and tastes fresher than store-bought, without the additives and preservatives.
Green tip: Food preservatives, like pesticides, are harmful to the environment. They contain toxins that are harmful to plants, animals, and soil. Homemade food with all-natural ingredients that allows you to avoid preservatives lowers your ecological footprint.
You can use traditional hummus or even a flavored hummus, like Roasted Red Pepper, Toasted Pine Nut, or even Pesto Hummus.
I highly recommend squeezing your lemon juice into a separate bowl or cup rather than directly into your sauce. This will allow you to extract any lemon seeds that may fall in before it gets lost in the sauce.
Green tip: Growing your own herbs is a delicious way to reduce your environmental footprint. Homegrown basil has zero associated food miles, no pesky plastic packaging, and is free of damaging fertilizers and chemicals. Plus, it’s just so fresh and flavorful.
Adding Things Back to the Pot
I promised you less clean up, and this vegan one-pot pasta recipe delivers!
Once your pasta is cooked and you’ve reserved some pasta water, transfer it to a strainer.
Add some olive oil to the pot and throw your mushrooms and garlic in. Allow the mushrooms and garlic to cook with some salt and pepper before removing from heat and adding the hummus, basil, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water.
Whisk to form a smooth sauce and assess the consistency of the sauce. We are looking for a smooth and creamy sauce, the same consistency as alfredo sauce.
If it seems too thick, slowly add more of the reserved pasta water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.
Then, add the pasta back to the pot with the sauce and stir to coat.
Adding More Veggies
I kept this recipe super simple, but you can load it up on veggies if you want a more filling, colorful, and nutritious meal. Just chop and add your veggies of choice to the pot with the mushrooms and cook them down.
Some ideas for delicious additions include spinach, red peppers, onions, broccoli, and peas. Whatever is in season!
Green tip: Eating seasonally is one of the best (and most delicious) ways to support local and decrease your carbon footprint. Local foods have less associated transportation costs and fuel emissions. Simply put, eating seasonally = less environmental impact. Check what’s in season in your area with this Seasonal Food Guide.
Should You Have Leftovers
One of my favorite things about this vegan one-pot pasta dish aside from its awesome taste and ease is its versatility. It’s equally delicious warm and cold! You can eat it warm for dinner and then cold for lunch the next day, and feel like you’re having two different meals!
This Hummus Pasta will last for up to 5 days sealed in the fridge. Sometimes I like to revamp it by adding a little more hummus and lemon before eating the leftovers.
Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? It’s always best to avoid food waste as much as you can!
If you wish to reheat it, it’s best to make it warm, not super-hot, to preserve the flavor of the fresh basil and garlic. Put your serving in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave for 40 seconds, and stir.
Make sure there are no cold spots, and if there are, put it back in the microwave, uncovered for another ten seconds. Enjoy it warm.
Hummus Pasta Frequently Asked Questions
Can hummus be used as pasta sauce?
In this recipe, we use hummus as the base of our pasta sauce. The addition of mushrooms, basil, garlic, and lemon juice bring extra flavor, and reserved pasta water helps give it the right consistency.
What goes with hummus for dinner?
My favorite main course meal that incorporates hummus that is hearty enough for dinner is this One Pot Hummus Pasta!
Why You Should Make This Hummus Pasta
- It’s easy! Less than ten ingredients, less than 30 minutes, and only requires one pot.
- It’s healthy. Protein-packed + nutrients from the mushrooms and chickpeas.
- It’s fresh. The fresh citrus and herbs add that fresh finish.
- It’s delicious either hot or cold. Have it hot for dinner and then cold leftover—it’s like two meals in one!
If you love this Hummus Pasta and are looking for more one-pot pasta, check out this Mushroom Marsala Pasta and Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce.
One-Pot Hummus Pasta with Basil (Vegan)
Print Save RateIngredients
- 16 ounces short pasta* (see notes below for more info)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup reserved pasta water** (see notes below for more info)
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2 sprigs fresh basil, leaves and stems (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon = approx. ¼ cup juice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ cup hummus (any savory flavor)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Before straining, use a measuring cup or any heat-safe cup with a handle to dip into the boiling water, reserving at least ½ cup of the pasta water.
- While your pasta is cooking, chop mushrooms and basil, dice the garlic, and squeeze the juice from the lemon.
- Once the pasta is cooked and you've reserved some pasta water, pour the pasta and any excess water into a strainer and allow the pasta to dry.
- Put the pot back on the stove over medium heat and add mushrooms (+ any other vegetables you want to add—see notes below for suggestions!), garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add hummus, basil, lemon juice, and ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Whisk to combine and evaluate the consistency. We want a smooth and creamy sauce, almost like the consistency of alfredo. If need be, slowly add more pasta water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency achieved. You should not need to add more than ½ cup of pasta water.
- Add the pasta back to the pot and stir to coat the pasta in the hummus sauce.
- Serve immediately warm, or refrigerate and serve cold. Garnish with extra fresh basil for an herbaceous finish.
Pro Tips
- Pictured here, I used Gemelli, but I’ve made this recipe with almost every short pasta under the sun. My favorite short pasta options for this recipe are: Cavatappi, Fusilli, Rotini, Farfalle, Penne, Rigatoni, and Ziti.
- The pasta water is used in the recipe to achieve the right consistency. The hummus and lemon on the pasta alone may still be a little thick and stodgy.
- Some ideas for delicious additions include spinach, red peppers, onions, broccoli, and peas. Whatever is in season!
- For more easy and low clean-up recipes, check out this awesome list of my best One-Pot meals.
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2 thoughts on “One-Pot Hummus Pasta with Basil (Vegan)”
If using ZenB pasta or other pea protein pasta, should one save that pasta water?
Hi DeeElle!
Pea protein pasta should work perfectly. I would save the water just in case! Mix all your other ingredients together first and if it seems too dense, add just a little at a time (about 1 tablespoon at a time) until you’re happy with the consistency!