Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Pasta)
Pasta e Ceci is rustic Italian comfort food at its best! A creamy chickpea broth with pasta that’s hearty, budget-friendly, and made entirely from pantry staples. This one-pot pasta with chickpeas dinner is nourishing, satisfying, and the kind of dish that feels special while still being incredibly easy to make.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 2 small sprigs of rosemary
- 1 6- ounce can/jar of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt or more to taste
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Parmesan rind don’t worry if you don’t have it, but it adds a lot of flavor
- 4 cups water vegetable stock or chicken stock or a combo (I like 2 cups stock + 2 cups water)
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta or another small shape, like macaroni
- Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the chili flakes, garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring until it becomes golden on both sides and fragrant. Remove rosemary.
- Stir in the tomato paste and salt and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chickpeas, water/stock and parmesan rind. Stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cook covered until the chickpeas are soft.
- Optional step: Pull out a ladleful of chickpeas and a ladleful of liquid and blend or blend a little soup right in the pot with an immersion blender being careful of the parmesan rind. Bring back up to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir. Only add pasta if the liquid is at a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer until the pasta is cooked, stirring often, and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add more liquid if you like it a little soupier. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, ladle the pasta into shallow bowls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a dusting of Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- It will thicken up the longer it sits and can be thinned afterward with water or stock.
- As Pasta e Ceci sits, the pasta continues to absorb liquid, making the dish thicker over time. This is normal; in fact, many Italians enjoy it this way the next day.
- To reheat, simply add water or stock to loosen the consistency, then warm gently on the stove until creamy again. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.