One Pot Marry Me Chickpea Pasta
, Updated Oct 21, 2026
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Prepare to fall in love with Marry Me Chickpeas! This 30-minute pasta dish is the vegetarian sibling of the uber-popular Marry Me Chicken and just as delicious. Chickpeas cook with ditalini pasta in a creamy garlicky sun-dried tomato sauce, finished with spinach and freshly grated Parmesan.
My crock pot Marry Me chicken recipe is so popular with you all that I wanted to create a vegetarian version, suitable for those avoiding or cutting down on meat. Marry me chickpeas HAD to be that dish, if only because the recipe titles vary by only a few letters 🙂
If you are already familiar with “marry me” chicken then you doubtless know why this recipe is so insanely popular. You simply can’t go wrong with the combination of creamy sauce, the tang and sweetness of sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan and fresh spinach.
In this version the chickpeas take the place of chicken and ditalini pasta is cooked right alongside them in the flavor-packed broth so they absorb all the yummy goodness. So delicious, so easy and on the table in under 30 minutes. Even my “it has to have meat or I won’t like it” husband LOVED this. What more can we ask for?
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Chickpeas: protein-packed, fiber rich and ever-so-affordable, canned chickpeas are perfect for this marry me recipe.
- Pasta: I used ditalini in this recipe as they are my second-favorite small pasta shape, next to orzo. Orzo would also be perfect in this dish or any similar small shape.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I always have a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil in my pantry, I tend to use them so often!
- Vegetable broth: I used a vegetable stockpot to make the broth. You can also use bouillon powder or a veggie stock cube.
- Shallots and plenty of minced garlic.
- Olive oil or use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Cream: heavy cream (double cream) is a must for our creamy sauce.
- Parmesan: freshly grated Parmesan will add so much flavor to this dish. Worth buying a small wedge and using as much as you need instead of the boxed grated Parmesan.
- Spinach: Baby spinach leaves add extra goodness and a pop of color to this dish (a great way to sneak some greens into kids’ dinners).
- And finally: lemon zest, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian herb mix or seasoning.
How to Make Marry Me Chickpeas
This recipe could not be simpler. Start by heating the oil and cooking the shallots and garlic with the sun-dried tomatoes, seasoning and herbs.
Once the shallots have softened, you stir in the chickpeas and vegetable broth bringing everything to a simmer. The pasta goes in next and cooks over a low simmer for just 12–15 minutes. It’s important to stir the pasta once in a while so it doesn’t stick.
We finally stir in the cream and grated Parmesan, adding the fresh spinach right before the end. It just needs a couple of minutes to wilt down and our marry me chickpeas are ready!
A quick taste to check whether you need to adjust the seasoning and you are ready to serve, with some lemon zest and extra Parmesan for good measure. Yum!
Recipe Variations
- This dish is vegetarian but can be easily made vegan. Replace the cream and Parmesan with a dairy-free alternative and you are good to go! I like using soy single cream in place of heavy cream.
- The best substitute for the ditalini pasta is orzo which cooks in the same way (take a look at my Marry Me Chicken Meatballs With Orzo). You could use other pasta shapes too, checking whether you need to adjust the cooking time according to pack instructions.
- You could replace the chickpeas with beans if you like – butter beans or cannellini beans are both good options.
You’ll Also Love These One-Pot Recipes
- One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken – juicy chicken thighs braised in a creamy coconut milk and lime sauce with ginger and garlic, ready in about 35 minutes.
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta – tender chicken and spaghetti cooked together in a rich, garlicky Parmesan sauce in under 30 minutes.
- Cajun Chicken Pasta – a creamy, gently spiced weeknight favorite that even picky eaters love, all made in one pot.
- One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice – succulent chicken and smoky spiced rice cooked together for maximum flavor and minimum cleanup.
- Creamy Tuscan Orzo (One Pot) – sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a silky Parmesan sauce, and a brilliant way to use up leftover turkey.
👉 Please leave a comment and rating if you try this One Pot Marry Me Chickpea Pasta recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations!
One Pot Marry Me Chickpea Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
- 3 large shallots , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ cup (120g) sun-dried tomatoes , chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper , plus more to serve
- 1 tsp Italian herbs (seasoning)
- pinch red pepper flakes , or more to taste
- 14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 4 cups (980ml) vegetable stock
- 2 cups (200g) ditalini pasta or 200g (1 cup) orzo
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream (= double cream)
- 3 cups (90g) fresh spinach , roughly chopped
- ½ cup (50g) Parmesan , freshly-grated
- 1 lemon , zest only
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the shallots and minced garlic. Stir over low heat for about five minutes, until slightly softened.2 tbsp olive oil, 3 large shallots, 3 garlic cloves
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning.½ cup (120g) sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp Italian herbs , pinch red pepper flakes
- Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth and bring to a rolling simmer.14 oz (400g) canned chickpeas, 4 cups (980ml) vegetable stock
- Stir in the pasta and lower the heat so you have a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through but al dente, about 12-14 minutes, or per pack instructions.2 cups (200g) ditalini pasta
- Pour in the cream and add the Parmesan, stirring so it melts into the creamy sauce.½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, 3 cups (90g) fresh spinach
- Stir in the spinach so that it wilts and add the lemon zest. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.½ cup (50g) Parmesan, 1 lemon
- Serve with an extra sprinkling of grated Parmesan.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
made this today, very easy and tasty. i used only one tsp of salt instead of two though, and it still turned out pretty salty. i’d suggest just half a tsp of salt and add more at the end if needed. cheers
I love one pot recipes! This one was pretty easy and yummy. I usually reduce the salt in recipes and didn’t for this one. It was saltier than I like but not so much that it ruined the recipe. I’ll be making this one again for sure, but without any salt.
So quick and easy loved it!