This…was on a lark.

During the height of this damn COVID-19 pandemic, I downloaded TikTok for perhaps seven days, and I’ll never get those seven days back. 😆 However! I did come across some great recipes on my For Your Page area, one of which was a three-ingredient pasta dish: hummus, pasta, and pasta water. It was ideal for hummus lovers, as well as vegans or anyone dairy-adverse looking for a creamy pasta option.

One work day, I actually had a spare 45 minutes to cook a proper lunch – I take advantage of those rare moments! – and that recipe sprung back into my head! I also had some yellow summer squash that was turning a little rubbery, so I wanted to dice it up before it met its possible death in the compost heap.

I was quite impressed, after holding my breath a little too much during its creation. (As if wearing a mask for the past 3 months hasn’t made me hypoxic enough. Ha!) Not only was it creamy, but it remained creamy for the duration of my meal; it didn’t try out, and cakey hummus is truly unpalatable. (Ugh.) I’m a huge fan of Esti Foods, namely their pesto hummus. It worked wonderfully here! (And this isn’t a sponsored post, but if you’re looking, Esti, I’ve got a media kit all ready for y’all… 💁)

This idea may seem a little…strange – on a poll I did on my Instagram Stories, it clocked in at approximately 85% for the sauce and 15% against this idea – but have a little faith and try something new. 😊

Hummus Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. (approximately) linguine, strands split in half
• 1 cup yellow squash, cubed
• 3 tablespoons pesto hummus
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta water

Before We Get Started…

• I hope it goes without saying that you can substitute in your pasta of choice here, but if you didn’t come to that conclusion already…
• If you can not find pesto hummus, substitute 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of hummus and 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite pesto; your favorite hummus, in general, can be substituted here if anything pesto-based isn’t your thing!
• Yellow squash can be replaced with zucchini, or squash can be omitted.

Directions:

1.) Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Prior to draining, reserve pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and return to saucepan.

2.) While pasta is boiling, sauté diced summer squash over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

3.) Add hummus to pasta, one tablespoon at a time, and mix; drizzle in reserved pasta water to loosen up the hummus. (Note: You may not use all of the reserved pasta water.) Stir until creamy. Add sautéed summer squash. Eat immediately; this recipe does not make for good leftovers, so enjoy it when you’re done cooking it!