In case you’re unfamiliar, Banza makes pasta from 90% chickpeas. It comes in all shapes and sizes and works great as a healthier substitute for traditional wheat pasta. Here’s a handful of reasons their pasta has become a go-to ingredient in my recipes:
- lower carb, higher protein
- gluten free
- great taste and texture
- available in most grocery stores or easily ordered online
If you have any additional questions about Banza pasta, I bet it’s covered in their FAQ.
Okay, let’s get to the mac and cheese, pasta bakes, and all the good stuff. You’ll find 12 recipe infographics below with the full recipe. If you have questions about a recipe or need more information about serving sizes or anything else, click the link to the full post right above each graphic.
1. Banza Breakfast Pasta
A lower calorie, lower carb mac and cheese with cheesy scrambled eggs, sausage, and a golden crisp topping. Every serving weighs 6 ounces and has a whopping 21 grams of protein with just 235 calories! That’s a BIG breakfast.
Full post: Breakfast Mac and Cheese
2. Cheeseburger Pasta
This recipe combines Banza pasta with lean ground chicken, a low fat burger sauce, and plenty of cheese to make a healthier spin on cheeseburger pasta with 25 grams of protein and just 275 calories per serving.
Full post: High Protein Cheeseburger Pasta
3. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
A healthier mac and cheese recipe with 34 grams of protein and just 31 grams of carbs and 380 calories per HUGE one and half cup serving. The recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and reheats great!
Full post: Buffalo Ground Chicken Mac and Cheese
4. Chicken Sausage Pasta for Two
A 5-ingredient, one-pan recipe that packs an unbelievable amount of flavor into something so simple. The shallots and burst tomatoes create a jammy, creamy sauce once paired with parmesan, and the crispy pan roasted chicken sausage slices provide just the right amount of texture. And while this is a scaled down quick recipe for two, you could easily scale up to make a big batch.
Full post: 5-Ingredient Pasta for Two
5. Pressure Cooker Bacon Mac and Cheese
If you have a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Duo Crisp where you can cook bacon, pressure cook pasta, and broil cheese on top all in one pot, this is a must make recipe. This is a great recipe to make around the holidays or get togethers when you want something truly “kinda” healthy but indistinguishable from the real deal.
Full post: Ninja Foodi Mac and Cheese
6. Fajita Chicken Pasta
Extra cheesy, creamy fajita chicken pasta that’s easy to make and perfect for meal prep or feeding the whole family. Every serving has 22 grams of protein with just 260 calories and 10 grams of fat.
Full post: Fajita Chicken Pasta Bake
7. Southern Style Banza Pasta Salad
This low fat pasta salad is perfect for game days and hootenannies of all kind. Each serving has just 120 calories and 2 Smart Points, but you can customize nearly every part of the recipe.
Full post: Banza Pasta Salad
8. BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
On my blog, we celebrate BBQ chicken and all its variations. This Banza mac and cheese uses either my Instant Pot BBQ chicken or slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs, but you could use any leftover pulled BBQ chicken or pork. You could even use rotisserie chicken tossed with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Full post: Easy 5-Ingredient BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
9. Garlic Parmesan Banza Pasta Fries
Need a healthier alternative to french fries? These pasta fries are crispy, flavorful, and have 9 grams of protein with just 16 grams of carbs per serving. And they only take 20 minutes to make!
Full post: Air Fryer Pasta Fries
10. Green Chile Chicken Mac and Cheese
Mexican seasoned chicken breast and diced green chiles meat Banza pasta shells and sharp cheddar in this mac ‘n’ cheese recipe. It’s another high protein pasta recipe with lots of customizations to be made to make it more macro friendly. Leaving off the crisp topping, for instance, saves 30 calories per serving.
Full post: Green Chile Mac and Cheese with Chicken
11. Cajun Sausage and Veggie Pasta
You’ll love this super simple recipe for lower carb pasta with chopped zucchini and bell pepper, turkey cheddar sausage, and a creamy cajun sauce. Each serving has just 220 calories!
Full post: Andouille Chicken Sausage Pasta
12. Taco Pasta Bake
It doesn’t get much easier than this cheesy taco pasta bake. And with tons of protein and just 6 WW Freestyle Points per serving, this is an awesome meal prep recipe.
Full post: Easy Taco Pasta
More Banza Pasta Recipes
- Low Fat Cajun Mac and Cheese
- Beefy Queso Mac and Cheese
- Pressure Cooker Chili Mac
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Healthy Spaghetti and Meatballs
