This pasta is built around tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, and capers, combined into a simple sauce that comes together while the pasta cooks. The flavour leans on salty, savoury elements balanced by the tomato base, with the chickpeas adding body. It’s a straightforward way to turn store‑cupboard ingredients into a complete meal.
Why this recipe works
- Uses mostly cupboard staples
- One pan sauce + pasta
- Good balance of carbs, fibre, and protein
- Rich flavour without being heavy
Lazy Tomato, Chickpea, Olive & Caper Penne
A quick penne pasta with chickpeas, olives, and capers, built from simple ingredients and designed for straightforward weeknight cooking.
- 160 g dried penne or rigatoni
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin chickpeas (drained (≈240 g))
- 30 g olives (roughly chopped)
- 1 –2 tbsp capers (rinsed)
- 40 –50 g parmesan (finely grated)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste (use sparingly))
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Cook pasta until al dente.
- Reserve a mug of pasta water, then drain.
Soften the base
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened.
Build flavour
- Add garlic and cook for ~30 seconds.
- Stir in tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
Add body
- Add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas.
- Lightly crush some chickpeas with a spoon.
- Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
Finish the sauce
- Stir in olives and capers.
- Season with black pepper and minimal salt.
Combine
- Add pasta with a splash of pasta water.
- Remove from heat and stir in most of the parmesan.
- Serve with remaining parmesan on top.
Variations & substitutions
- Add spinach or greens at the end
- Increase capers for a stronger flavour
- Reduce parmesan for a lighter version
Storage & leftovers
Best eaten fresh. Keeps for up to 2 days and reheats well with a small splash of water.