By Aditi Saraswat
August 13, 2026
Enjoying pasta does not have to be an occasional indulgence to relish. Swapping the regular refined flour spaghetti with a whole-wheat version adds more fibre, and adding protein-rich chickpeas makes it more filling.
2 cups whole-wheat spaghetti 1 cup boiled chickpeas 2 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped ½ capsicum, chopped 1 small carrot, grated ¼ cup pasta cooking water ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp chilli flakes ½ tsp oregano Salt, to taste 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, optional 1 tsp lemon juice
Boil the whole wheat spaghetti in salted water. Cook this until it turns soft but not mushy.
Blend the boiled chickpeas with garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and some pasta water to make a smooth paste.
In a pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic and onion, then add the chopped vegetables.
Now, add the chickpea paste to the vegetables and season it with chilli flakes and oregano and let it cook until the sauce turns creamy.
Add the cooked spaghetti to this, toss everything nicely, adjust the seasoning if required and serve hot.