Moroccan pasta

Moroccan pasta is a very flavorful vegan pasta recipe with the warmth of Moroccan spices and harissa paste. It has some other delicious ingredients like chickpeas, bell peppers, and olives. This vegan pasta can be prepared in just 25 minutes.

What's needed to make Moroccan pasta?

For this easy Moroccan pasta recipe, you will need the ingredients that are shown below:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

• Pasta: Use pasta of your choice. Small or medium-cut penne like conchiglie, rigatoni, macaroni, farfalle, and orzo, are better for this recipe. However, if you want, spaghetti can also be used.
• Chickpeas: Both homecooked or canned chickpeas are fine. Feel free to use beans of choice like cannellini beans, black beans, or red kidney beans.
• Tomatoes: Use juicy red tomatoes to make the sauce. Instead of using fresh tomatoes, you can also use canned crushed tomatoes.
• Bell peppers: I have used bell peppers of different colors to add more colors to my pasta. Use whichever type of bell pepper you have.
• Onion: Preferably red onion but if you don't have that, use white or brown onion.
• Cilantro: Instead of cilantro, fresh parsley, green onion, or basil leaves can be used too.
• Spices: To flavor Moroccan pasta spices like red chili powder, cumin powder, ginger powder, and ground black pepper are used. If you have any other Moroccan spice like powdered cinnamon, cloves, paprika, or cayenne pepper, you can add that too.
• Harissa paste: It's a very flavorful North African chili sauce made with dried red chilies and spices. If you don't have harissa paste, use any other hot red chili sauce. Though they won't taste the same, you will get some kick that comes from harissa paste.
•  Olives: I have used sliced black olives but green olives or kalamata olives are fine too. You can also mix different types of olives and use them. Instead of sliced olives, whole olives can also be added but deseed them before adding.
• Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil as it's also a key ingredient in this dish.

Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.

How to make (step-by-step instructions)?

To make pasta Moroccan style, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below:

Step 1: Boil a large pot of water and add some salt and pasta to it. Cook pasta al dente following package instructions.

Step 2: Just before straining the cooked pasta, reserve some pasta water in a bowl and keep it aside. This starchy pasta water will be used to adjust the consistency of the pasta sauce later.

Step 3: While the pasta is getting cooked, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan and saute chopped bell peppers for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. The bell peppers should get cooked but remain crunchy. Transfer them to a plate.

Step 4: In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute onion until it becomes translucent.

Step 5: Add chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds.

Step 6: Add red chili powder, cumin powder, ginger powder, and ground black pepper. Saute for around 30 seconds.

Step 7: Add the harissa paste and tomato paste. Saute for about a minute.

Step 8: Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Step 9: Add some pasta water to get a sauce-like consistency. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 10: Add cooked chickpeas, sauteed bell peppers, and sliced olives. Cook for 1 minute.

Step 11: Add cooked pasta and gently mix everything. Turn off the heat

Step 12: Add lemon juice and mix. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Your delicious Moroccan pasta is ready to be served.

Serving Moroccan pasta

Serve Moroccan pasta warm or hot with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs garnishing.

You can enjoy this flavorful and filling dish by itself and don't need any side dish with it. However, if you want you can serve Moroccan roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, crusty bread, or a crunchy salad on the side.

Storing, freezing, and reheating tips

Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 4 days.

This dish also freezes well. To freeze, allow reaching room temperature then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze. Frozen pasta will be fine for up to 3 months.

To reheat, if the pasta is frozen, you will need to thaw it first. Then transfer it to a microwave-safe container, add a splash of water, and microwave until evenly heated. Take out and stir once in between.

Otherwise, transfer the pasta to a pan, add a little water, mix, and cover the pan with a lid. Reheat on the stovetop on low heat until heated well.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

• Feel free to use any pasta of your choice. Short or medium-cut pasta is better for this recipe.
• Instead of chickpeas, you can also add white beans or any other bean of choice.
• You can add more vegetables like zucchini, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, etc.
• Use good quality extra virgin olive oil to get more flavor.
• Instead of fresh tomatoes, canned crushed tomatoes can also be used.
• While preserving the pasta water, collect it just before straining the pasta. The water will have more starch that time which will give a nice consistency to the sauce.
• Pasta can be replaced with cooked quinoa, couscous, or rice to create similar Moroccan recipes.

Frequently asked questions

More easy Moroccan recipes

If you enjoyed this Moroccan chickpea pasta and looking for more easy Moroccan recipes then don't miss to check out the following links:

1. Moroccan sweet potato and chickpea soup
2. Vegan harira
3. Moroccan roasted potatoes
4. Moroccan couscous with chickpeas
5. Moroccan carrot salad

More vegan pasta recipes

Pasta dishes are perfect for every season and almost everyone enjoys them. If you also love pasta and looking for more easy vegan pasta recipes then don't miss to check out the following links:

1. 15 minutes creamy tomato pasta
2. Pasta in zucchini sauce
3. Aubergine pasta
4. Pasta salad with dried cranberries
5. Pasta napolitana
6. Mushroom cherry tomato pasta
7. Greek tomato orzo-kritharaki

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