Last updated on February 27th, 2024 at 11:35 pm
Banza Chickpea Pasta Bake – a delectable fusion of savory Italian sausage, rich marinara, and a decadent blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, all crafted into a delightful baked pasta. Elevate your pasta game by replacing conventional noodles with Banza chickpea pasta, a healthier alternative that effortlessly removes the guilt from your cherished pasta recipes. With its high protein content, lower carb profile, and gluten-free nature, Banza chickpea pasta not only amplifies the nutritional value but also preserves the beloved taste of traditional pasta.
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Banza chickpea pasta comes in 16 different shapes and cuts of pasta so chances are you'll be able to find your favorites. For this Banza Chickpea Pasta Bake, I used Banza Rigatoni. I also love pre-making short cuts of pasta in the Instant Pot. Go here to see how to make chickpea pasta in the Instant Pot.
This recipe was inspired by my other popular Banza chickpea pasta recipes. Tuscan Chicken Pasta With Banza, Banza Penne and Italian Meatballs, Air Fry Range Chicken Parmesan with Banza Spaghetti and Banza Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Ingredients:
- EVOO
- Salt
- Banza Chickpea Pasta
- Mild Italian Ground Sausage
- Marinara Sauce (no sugar added) Or Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
Ingredient Notes:
Choose a high-quality ground Italian sausage and a quality no sugar added marinara sauce if you don't have a homemade spaghetti sauce option like this one. I also recommend splurging on a fresh mozzarella like this.
How To Cook Banza Chickpea Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Start by bringing 8 cups of water to a roaring boil. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water.
- Next, add the box of rigatoni to the water and stir immediately to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Boil rigatoni for 3-4 minutes. The pasta will not be fully cooked at this point, but to prevent it from breaking apart when it's baked in the casserole you'll need it to be partially cooked and still firm.
- Using a strainer dump pasta and water and rinse pasta with cold water immediately and leave to drain for a few minutes.
- In a large skillet brown the Italian sausage completely. If needed drain any fat from the cooked sausage. I'm using a homemade Italian elk sausage with less fat so I don't need to drain excess grease from the meat.
- Next, if your mozzarella is not pre-sliced you'll need to slice it into ¼ inch slices and set it aside.
Assemble The Pasta Bake
- In a 13x9" glass baking pan place the cooked pasta and cooked sausage. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese add 1 cup of marinara sauce and stir everything together to combine.
- Pour over the remaining marinara sauce, sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese, and place sliced mozzarella slices evenly over the top.
- Bake pasta at 350° for 20-25 minutes, remove pasta from the oven when the sauce is hot and bubbly.
- Optional broil on low for 5 minutes to further melt the mozzarella cheese on top. Watch as you are broiling the dish so as not to burn the mozzarella.
- Remove the pasta and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad on the side.
More Chickpea Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy
Recipe Variations
If Banza Rigatoni isn't available substitute penne, rotini, or ziti. Follow the cooking instructions on the box, but cut the cooking time in half. Because Banza Chickpea Pasta doesn't have gluten if you overcook it will fall apart easily.
Banza Chickpea Pasta Bake Recipe
Banza chickpea pasta is a high protein, lower carb, gluten-free alternative to traditional pasta that tastes great.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Chickpea Pasta Banza
- 1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage
- 24 oz. Marinara Sauce no sugar added
- 8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese sliced
- 6 oz. Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Bring 8 cups of salted water to a roaring boiling.
- Pout in the whole box of rigatoni into the water and stir immediately to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Boil rigatoni for 3-4 minutes. The pasta will not be fully cooked at this point, but to prevent it from breaking apart when it’s baked in the casserole you’ll need it to be partially cooked and still firm.
- Using a strainer dump pasta and water and rinse pasta with cold water immediately and leave to drain for a few minutes.
- In a large skillet brown the Italian sausage completely. If needed drain any fat from the cooked sausage.
- Slice mozzarella in ¼ inch slices and set aside.
- In a 13×9″ glass baking pan place the cooked pasta and cooked sausage. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese and add 1 cup of marinara sauce and stir everything together to combine. Pour over the remaining marinara sauce, sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese, and place sliced mozzarella slices evenly over the top.
- Bake pasta at 350° for 20-25 minutes, remove pasta from the oven when the sauce is hot and bubbly.
- Optional broil on low for 5 minutes to further melt the mozzarella cheese on top. Watch as you are broiling the dish not to burn the mozzarella.
- Remove the pasta and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Chickpea pasta has twice the protein, three times the fiber, and 30% fewer net carbs than traditional pasta. Banza is gluten-free, non-GMO, and a low glycemic index food. Chickpea pasta is a healthier alternative to traditional pasta.
With 30% fewer carbs than traditional pasta, Banza Chickpea pasta is a lower-carb option for keto-friendly pasta with 48 net carbs per 3.5 oz. serving versus 71 net carbs in average pasta.
Yes, these Banza chickpea pasta shapes Angel Hair, Cavatappi, Elbows, Linguine, Penne, Rigatoni, Rotini, Shells, Spaghetti, Wheels, Ziti, Alphabets, Casarecce, Gemelli are all certified gluten-free and made in a gluten-free facility.
Banza chickpea pasta is made in salted boiling water traditionally, but short shapes and cuts of pasta can also be cooked in the Instant Pot as well. Watch the how-to cook Banza Chickpea pasta in the Instant Pot video HERE.
Carin says
I’m also wondering if anyone has frozen this dish. Looking forward to response.
Amber says
I have not tried to freeze this with banza pasta, but I have with traditional pasta so if you try it let me know how it turns out.
Hannah says
I’m making this dish tonight. I track my food and I’m curious about the nutrition facts and that serving size being 1 gram. That doesn’t seem correct? Could you clean that up for me please?
Amber says
Hi, thank you for your comment. I have updated the recipe card to reflect 16 oz. Please keep in mind if you are tracking your nutrition the ingredients you use may vary from mine and this is just an estimate. You would need to reference the exact ingredients you are using to be accurate. We happen to make this recipe with homemade canned spaghetti sauce, and elk sausage we make ourselves and that's not available to reference in an online recipe card. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Hannah says
Thank you Amber! We use ground venison and took into account the slight differences.
Amber says
Awesome! If you love the recipe please leave a review it's very helpful.
Ann says
This was delicious! I served it with a side salad and it was great.
Sarah says
Thanks! The family loved it!
Do you recommend freezing ahead of time?
Sarah
amberhollis918@gmail.com says
Thanks Sarah! I have never tried to freeze cooked Banza chickpea pasta. I will have to try it and let you know how it turns out.
Annie Birzer says
Hello, did you ever try freezing this? I’m interested to make it ahead of time for a family trip next week and would love any advice!
Amber says
I have not tried freezing this. If you do let me know how it turns out.
Ann says
This was delicious I made it w a nice side salad!
James says
Delicious! This is my second time making this dish and my family loves it! All I added was a little Italian seasoning.
Amber says
Thank you so much for your kind review! We love this baked pasta too! We make it using our own homemade Italian Elk Sausage so I can see maybe needing to add a bit of Italian seasoning if your sausage isn't seasoned.