Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes » Pasta Recipes » Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Chickpea Pasta

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Chickpea Pasta

This post is sponsored by USA Pulses and Pulse Canada. As always, all opinions are my own.

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

This is like all the cozy happy feelings of fall wrapped up into a warm and creamy bowl of delicious pasta! I love using my slow cooker to help me make delicious pasta dishes and this Chickpea and Butternut Squash version is no exception! Last week we chatted about getting out of our comfort zone and making some new recipes and I’m pretty sure I’ve discovered one of our newest favorites. Utilizing the slow cooker for making up a small batch of chickpeas and then adding to that some flavorful butternut squash helps to make a nutritious meal that is perfect for those crisp and cool evenings, even the busy ones.

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

If you haven’t cooked with chickpeas before, I can’t recommend them enough. For those days when you want something a little different or you want to have a meatless meal, chickpeas are the perfect option. They are filling, satisfying and packed with protein. Like we talked about the other day, opening up your cooking options by using pulses gives you such a wide variety of options for trying out new meals by using dry peas, lentils, beans and of course chickpeas! A great way to add delicious flavor and protein to your dish!

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

I love using my slow cooker for dry beans and peas because it makes it so simple to do everything in one pot. You can add the beans to the pot of your slow cooker and cover with water and let soak overnight so that they are ready to start cooking in the morning. Or if you have a multi-cooker with a boil function, you can also do the quick-soak option. Either way, once your beans are soaked, you are ready to add the squash and start the slow cooking process.

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

You can cut up your own squash, or cheat a little and buy pre-cubed from the produce section or even the frozen cubes. I used frozen to make it as easy as possible!

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

A simple blend of seasonings you likely have on hand along with a little veggie broth and that’s all it takes to get you started on your way to the ultimate fall comfort food meal.

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Chickpea Pasta

Jennifer Draper
4.34 from 3 votes
Save
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dry chickpeas
  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash 1 small squash or about 10-12 oz pre-cubed
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 12 oz pasta noodles I used Ditalini
  • Asiago cheese optional for serving
  • Fresh basil optional for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add chickpeas to slow cooker pot and cover with water. Don't turn it on, rather let it soak overnight and then drain in the morning
  • Add cubed butternut squash to soaked and drained chickpeas
  • Add broth and seasonings and cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 until chickpeas are tender
  • Stir well to break down squash and it will become smooth
  • Add cream and stir until well combined
  • Boil pasta noodles according to package directions (however, reduce cooking time by 3-4 minutes)
  • Drain pasta and add to slow cooker
  • Return slow cooker to high heat for about 20 minutes or until pasta is finished cooking and sauce has thickened
  • Serve with shredded asiago cheese and fresh basil or as desired

Notes

Note 1> If you have a multi-cooker with a boil feature you could also utilize the quick soak option by boiling the chickpeas in the multi-cooker for an hour and then draining and continuing the recipe as instructed
Note 2> You can make the pasta ahead of time (still reduce cooking time by 3-4 minutes) then drain, cool and refrigerate until ready to use. This will make quick work at dinner time.
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

Did you know that 2016 is the International Year of Pulses? Take the Pulse Pledge with me and let’s promise each other to stay out of our cooking ruts and to create lots of new recipes using all the varieties of pulses!

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta

7 Comments

  1. I tried this with cashew sauce. The flavor was very good, and I appreciate a meal that accommodates my dairy free hubs and our best friends who are vegetarians. The texture surprised me a bit though. Kind of a clump o’ pasta. Perhaps because of the cashew sauce? Maybe I cooked it too long? It made me wonder if cooking the pasta completely on the stove and just using the mixture as a sauce instead of cooking it all together in the crock pot would help. Thoughts? It is so healthy and a nice fit for our gang. This will be in our new rotation.

    1. I’d like to also test this in the pressure cooker, as I think pasta tends to do well that way too! It might be another really good option for this recipe!

  2. This looks yummy! Is it possible to use canned garbanzo beans? Would using them eliminate the need for soaking them? If so, I assume it’s best to drain and rinse the canned version…

  3. Hi – what is your suggestion for making this dairy-free (I eat an all-plant based diet – vegan). Thanks for any suggestions. This looks delicious and I have a squash just waiting from my nephew’s garden!

    Lori

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating