Pasta combined with hummus might be offbeat, but it works quite well. It makes a good picnic dish, since it’s so sturdy and quite good at room temperature.

Serves: 4 to 6

• 10 ounces rotini, gemelli, or penne, or other short shape
• 1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup tahini
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, with liquid, divided
• 1/4  to 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, to taste
• 2 to 3 scallions, minced

Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, combine the next 5 ingredients in a food processor. Add half of the red peppers along with their liquid, and reserve the remaining red peppers.

Process until the mixture is completely smooth. If too thick, add a small amount of water to loosen.

Chop the reserved red peppers into fairly short, narrow strips. Combine them in a large serving bowl with the cooked pasta, sauce, parsley, and scallions. Toss well and serve.

Note: When reheating leftovers, add a small amount of water, as the sauce thickens as it stands.

• Here are more hearty vegan pasta recipes. ^[1]
• Find more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Dinner Recipes ^[2] and Pasta Entrées ^[3].