01/29/2026
Dinner idea for this week: Creamy High-Protein Chickpea Spinach Pasta (30 Minutes)
🍝 Ingredients (serves 4):
12 oz high-protein pasta (chickpea, lentil, or protein-enriched wheat pasta)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained + rinsed
3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional but delicious!)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or plain plant-based protein yogurt
½ cup grated parmesan or nutritional yeast
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
1, Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
2. Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions and cook 3–4 min. Add garlic and cook 1 min more.
3. Add chickpeas + tomatoes: Stir in chickpeas and cherry tomatoes. Cook 3–4 minutes until tomatoes soften slightly.
4. Add spinach: Toss in spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Create the creamy sauce: Lower heat. Add Greek yogurt, parmesan, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Keep heat low so the yogurt stays creamy and doesn’t curdle.
6. Combine everything: Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Stir well, adding pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
7. Season + serve: Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve warm with extra parmesan.
High-protein pasta: 10–20g per serving
Chickpeas: ~14g of protein per can
Greek yogurt: 10–15g per ½ cup
Total = A super satisfying macro-friendly vegetarian dinner.
