Pasta e Ceci Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 (28 oz) can and 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 lbs short pasta, like ditalini or small shells
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Start the Sauce Base in a Large Pot

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and rosemary, and cook for another minute.

Pour in the cans of tomatoes and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors start to combine.

Add Chickpeas and Simmer

Add the chickpeas and the water or stock to the pot. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer for ~15 minutes.

Puree Some Chickpeas to Thicken the Sauce

Use a slotted spoon to take out about a third of the chickpeas. Transfer them to a blender and puree until completely smooth.

This chickpea puree is what will give the final dish its creamy consistency.

Cook the Pasta and Finish the Dish

Add the pasta directly into the pot with the simmering sauce. Cook according to the package directions, until it’s al dente.

You’ll need to stir it frequently, especially as the sauce thickens, to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the chickpea puree. Let it cook for another minute or two, then taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.

Pasta e Ceci

This is a one-pot dish where the pasta cooks right in the sauce with the chickpeas. The key to its creamy texture isn’t dairy, but a portion of the chickpeas that gets pureed and stirred back in at the end, which thickens the whole dish up.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Active Time35 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 1 medium carrot finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 can and 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
• 3 cans of chickpeas 15 oz, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 lbs short pasta like ditalini or small shells
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot, cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and rosemary, cook 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, simmer 5 minutes.
• Add chickpeas and water, season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
• Remove 1/3 of chickpeas, puree until smooth.
• Add pasta to pot, cook until al dente, stirring frequently.
• Stir in chickpea puree, cook 1-2 minutes more. Season to taste.

Notes

Use ditalini or small shell pasta. Sauce will thicken significantly as pasta cooks.