Description
Pasta e Ceci is a hearty and comforting Italian chickpea and pasta stew that combines tender chickpeas, grated vegetables, aromatic herbs, and ditalini pasta simmered in a flavorful broth. This rustic dish offers a nourishing and satisfying meal perfect for cozy gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Legumes and Grains
- 1 cup dry chickpeas
- 240g pasta ditalini, such as Barilla® Gluten Free Ditalini
Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 carrot
- 2 stewed, peeled tomatoes
- 1 fresh cayenne pepper, seeded and minced, or more to taste
Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 sprig fresh sage leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Oils and Others
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 to 5 cups chicken broth, as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas: Rinse chickpeas under cool water by rubbing them together with your hands. Place them in a large stew pot, cover with water, add baking soda, and swirl to distribute. Allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Rinse and prepare chickpeas: Drain the soaked chickpeas through a strainer, rinse well under cold running water, and remove any skins or discolored chickpeas. Set aside.
- Grate vegetables: Using the large teeth of a cheese grater, grate the onion, celery, zucchini, and carrot. This technique is crucial as grated vegetables impart a distinct flavor compared to diced.
- Sauté vegetables and herbs: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the stew pot over medium heat. Sauté the grated vegetables for 1 minute. Add sage, rosemary, and thyme and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions become soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer chickpeas and broth: Add 3 cups chicken broth, chickpeas, and stewed tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the chickpeas are tender, approximately 1 hour.
- Cook the pasta: Stir in the ditalini pasta. Add more broth as needed to maintain a thick, stew-like consistency. Cook until pasta is tender but still has a slight bite, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Season and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with minced cayenne pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for added flavor and heat.
Notes
- Pasta e Ceci is a classic Italian comfort food that showcases the earthy flavors of chickpeas paired with aromatic herbs.
- If ditalini pasta is unavailable, broken spaghetti pieces can be used as a substitute.
- Grating the vegetables instead of dicing enriches the stew with a unique texture and flavor.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to control the heat level according to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 378 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 1172 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 2 mg
