The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Tomato & Chickpea Ragu with Crispy 'Panko' Crumbs
This pasta is packed with full-of-fibre chickpeas, leeks, carrots and earthy mushrooms. Simmer the penne in a tomato and herb sauce, and top up with leafy green spinach for extra veg. Top it all off with crispy panko crumbs. It's your new family favourite.
1/3 daily fibre
11 plants
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 2 carrot
- 1 leek
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 240g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar (Sulphites) (Aged Balsamic Vinegar (Cooked Grape Must, Wine Vinegar), Xanthan Gum)
- 30g panko crumb (yellow pea flour)
- 400g tomato & herb sauce (tomato, cooked onion, water, tomato puree, carrots, caramelised onion, olive oil, basil, cornflour, garlic, date syrup, salt, garlic powder, acidity regulator: lactic acid.)
- 4 garlic clove
- 160g baby spinach
- 230g chickpeas (Chickpeas, water, salt)
- 250g brown rice penne (Eggs)
- 2 tbsp red pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Tomato Puree, Diced Tomatoes, Water, Salt (Anti caking agent), Olive Oil, Spirit Vinegar, Garlic, Paprika Flakes, Red chillies, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Rubbed Parsley, Rubbed Oregano, Ground black pepper, Smoked Paprika, Rose Petals, Citric Acid, Ground Caraway seed, Ground White Pepper)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
Nutritional Information
Calories: 533
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 67g
Fat: 17g
Tomato & Chickpea Ragu with Crispy 'Panko' Crumbs
This pasta is packed with full-of-fibre chickpeas, leeks, carrots and earthy mushrooms. Simmer the penne in a tomato and herb sauce, and top up with leafy green spinach for extra veg. Top it all off with crispy panko crumbs. It's your new family favourite.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a sieve & a large frying pan
Get the pasta on & prep the veg
- Add the penne to the saucepan and boil for 7-8 mins, until cooked, then drain.
- Thinly slice the mushrooms. Finely dice the carrot. Slice the leek into 1/2cm half moons.
- Finely chop or crush the garlic. Finely chop the parsley.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Rinse the spinach.
Make the pasta sauce
- Heat a large frying pan with 2 tbsp oil on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the leeks, carrots and mushrooms, then cook for 5-6 mins, until the veg is soft and golden brown.
- Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the chickpeas, along with the red pesto, balsamic and chilli flakes (to taste).
- Add the tomato & herb sauce, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 mins, until thick and saucy.
- In the final minute of cooking, stir in the spinach to wilt.
Bring everything together
- Once the penne is cooked, stir into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
Last bits & plate up
- In a small bowl, mix the panko and chopped parsley together and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the crispy crumbs.
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