Italian Pasta With Chickpeas (Pasta e Ceci Recipe)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2-3 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

3 x 14 oz (400 g) cans chickpeas, divided

5 cups (1.25 liter) vegetable broth

¾ cup (150 g) pasta

A handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot and celery stalks. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Next, drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas and add them to the pot. Let them cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Remove any foam that rises to the top.

Next, add the pasta. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

While the soup is cooking, blend the remaining can of chickpeas and their water in a blender.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the blended chickpeas and heat through.

Stir in the fresh parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with extra fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper on top if you like.

Notes

Amp up the veggie content by adding some spinach, kale, or Swiss chard towards the end.

Make this pasta e ceci gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free pasta option.

Stir in some tomato paste with the garlic for more flavor and extra color.

Add some crushed red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.

Grate a generous helping of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese on top for an extra layer of flavor. For a dairy-free option, nutritional yeast makes a great substitute.

It’s best to make pasta e ceci in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven that evenly distributes heat, ensuring that the pasta cooks perfectly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving: