When I was little, my grandma used to come home every week, and she would make her special pasta e ceci every time.
I learned the chickpea pasta recipe from her, and now I make it on weekends for my kids and family. Every time I make it, they are left asking for another serving.
This pasta e ceci recipe is not a simple pasta dish like others. It is hearty, comforting, and satisfying to eat.
It is a simple Italian combination of pasta and chickpeas. The best thing about this pasta with chickpeas is that it gives you tender pasta, creamy chickpeas, and flavorful sauce.
Also, it is a very practical dish because you only need simple ingredients to make it that you can easily find in your pantry. And the method of cooking this authentic pasta e ceci is also pretty easy.
Today, I will tell you what this easy pasta e ceci really is and how you can make it yourself at home.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta e Ceci
- To make this Italian pasta and chickpeas, you only need ingredients that are already in your pantry.
- This short pasta is filling without needing meat.
- You can get it done in one pot, and it requires minimal preparation.
- The pasta e ceci soup has a creamy texture without needing a heavy cream sauce.
- It is easy enough for a weeknight dinner as well.
- Great comfort food for cooler days.
What Is Pasta e Ceci?
Pasta e ceci is a kind of creamy pasta that is made using dried chickpeas or canned chickpeas. It literally means “pasta and chickpeas.” This Italian chickpea pasta is a hearty and comforting traditional Italian pasta.
Because it is a staple in Italy, recipes vary by region, town, and individual family, so there is no single authentic version.
It exists on a variety of ranges, from light, brothy soup to a thick, velvety, and creamy, stew-like consistency, where the pasta cooks directly in the chickpea starch.
You will find various variations of this pasta, such as Roman pasta e ceci, Neapolitan style, and Pugliese style.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Oil:Instead of using vegetable oil, you should use olive oil to get the best results from the pasta and chickpeas.
- Onion: Minced onion melts into the olive oil and gives a subtle, sweet, and aromatic foundation and enhances the flavor.
- Garlic: It melts entirely into the sauce and distributes an intense garlic flavor into every single bite.
- Rosemary:Rosemary gives the dish a bold and woody aroma that gives the creamy pasta e ceci a Mediterranean character.
- Red Chili Flakes: This gives the pasta a spicy kick.
- Tomato Paste: It gives the pasta a sweet and tangy tomato flavor.
- Chickpeas: You can use dried or canned chickpeas if you want, but using fresh chickpeas will give the best results.
- Vegetable Stock:Using vegetable stock will make for a creamy sauce for this Italian comfort food.
- Pasta: You can use any kind of pasta as long as it is a small pasta, and Aargolinha pasta is a great option for that.
- Salt: Using a little salt to season the pasta is a must.
- Black Pepper: This enhances the flavor of the pasta and give it a slight kick.
- Cilantro: You can use cilantro to garnish the pasta before serving.
Tips for the Best Pasta e Ceci
- When you are going about making this hearty pasta, make sure you do not rush the onion and garlic, or it will burn and taste bad.
- Make sure you keep the heat gentle when you are simmering the pasta water.
- You need to stir the pasta ceci regularly if you are cooking directly in the chickpea stew.
- You should also mash some of the chickpeas to give the pasta a naturally creamy texture.
- Make sure you adjust the liquid near the end of cooking the pasta.
- You should always taste the pasta for seasoning and adjust it accordingly so that it does not come out bland.
- You can finish with some olive oil for extra flavor.
Canned vs. Dried Chickpeas
To make this simple Italian dinner, you need to use chickpeas, which will turn the pasta into a creamy, delicious dish.
You can use either canned or dried chickpeas for this simple Italian dinner. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Using canned chickpeas makes for a much faster and more convenient process. So it is great for a quick weeknight dinner.
As for dried chickpeas, you need to soak them for long hours or overnight and then cook it to make them soft, which requires time. But this option will give you a deeper flavor and firmer texture to your one-pot pasta.
I recommend using the dried chickpeas because even though it takes more time, it tastes the best.
Storage & Reheating
- You can easily store the leftover pasta in the refrigerator for a while and still get fresh pasta.
- This pasta stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days, as long as you properly store it in an airtight container. Just let the pasta cool down completely to room temperature before sealing the container.
- You can reheat the pasta in a pan or pot over the stovetop. First, add a bit of liquid like vegetable broth, water, or chicken stock to loosen the mixture. Then, reheat gently over low-to-medium heat and stir continuously till it becomes creamy.
- I would recommend that you do not freeze the leftover pasta in the freezer, as the pasta will absorb excess moisture during freezing and thawing and ruin the texture and flavor.
Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting
- Adding too much liquid at once: If you pour all your broth at the beginning, it will turn the pasta into a thin and watery soup. So add the liquid in stages.
- Letting the pasta overcook:As the starches in the pot hold onto the heat, the pasta cooks faster. So pull the pot off the stove when the pasta is just about done, as the residual heat will finish the job perfectly.
- Not stirring when pasta cooks directly in the pot:Heavy starches from the chickpeas and pasta sink to the bottom and can stick and scorch. So stay close to the stove and stir the pot consistently when simmering.
- Using too little seasoning: Chickpeas and pasta are starch-heavy and absorb a lot of salt. You need to season your aromatic base at the start, salt the broth as it simmers, and give it a taste test at the end.
- Burning the garlic or herbs: Tossing the minced garlic and fresh rosemary into a hot pan at the beginning will burn them and turn the oil bitter. So sauté the onions first and drop the garlic and rosemary later.
- Making the dish too thick before serving: If the consistency looks exactly right while it is still bubbling on the stove, it might turn into a dry pasta by the time you serve. You need to make it slightly looser with more fluid consistency right before turning off the heat, as the sauce will tighten up immediately when cooled.
Pasta e Ceci – Creamy Italian Pasta and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp / 60 ml Olive Oil
- 1 small minced Onion
- 3 cloves / 9 g grated Garlic
- 1 tsp / 0.1 g chopped fresh Rosemary
- ½ tsp / 1 g Red Chili Flakes
- 3 tbsp / 48 g Tomato Paste
- 3 cups / 492 g Cooked Chickpeas
- ½ tsp / 3 g Salt
- 4 cups / 1 l Vegetable Stock
- 2 cups / 120 g Aargolinha Pasta
- ¼ tsp / 1.5 g Salt
- ¼ tsp / 0.5 g Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add olive oil and minced onion to a pot and cook until translucent.
- Add grated garlic, rosemary, red chili flakes, and tomato paste before cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Now, add the cooked chickpeas and salt, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Crush ⅓ of the chickpeas with a wooden spatula to thicken the sauce.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil.
- Add your pasta, salt, and black pepper before cooking for 10-12 minutes while stirring frequently.
- Garnish with cilantro and grated cheese and serve.
Recipe FAQs
What kind of pasta is best for Pasta e Ceci?
Using any kind of small-sized pasta is okay for the pasta e ceci, but you can use Aarholinha pasta.
Is Pasta e Ceci vegetarian?
Yes, pasta e ceci is vegetarian as you do not need to use meat and you only use chickpeas and vegetable broth.
Is Pasta e Ceci healthy?
Yes, the combination of chickpeas, pasta, and olive oil makes the pasta e ceci a very hearty and healthy dish.
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