Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Pasta e ceci – pasta and chickpeas in English – is a satisfying and nourishing Italian recipe known for its comforting flavors and simplicity.

You’ll love its creamy texture, earthy flavor, and the warm and rustic taste of chickpeas simmered in a rich broth with garlic, rosemary, and tomato.

Pasta e ceci represents the essence of Italian cooking: simple and affordable ingredients, bold flavors, and a satisfying and nourishing meal for the whole family.

Pasta and nutty chickpeas work wonderfully together, both nutritionally and flavor-wise.

Especially when cooked in one pot with a tasty flavor base, vegetable broth, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.

The secret to making this extra creamy pasta dish is to blend some chickpeas shortly before adding the pasta. You can do this with an immersion blender directly in the pot. It’s super easy!

Also, we recommend cooking the pasta right in the same pot with the other ingredients.

The starch that leaches into the sauce will add even more creaminess to your pasta e ceci.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Pasta

The original recipe calls for ditalini or ditaloni pasta, a small type of pasta available in most supermarkets.

Substitute other short pasta types such as conchiglie, elbows, pipette, campanelle, casarecce, maltagliati, and more.

Chickpeas

You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas.

If you use canned chickpeas, drain them and rinse them with water.

For dried chickpeas, soak them in water with a teaspoon of baking soda for 8 to 12 hours.

Then, cook them in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until tender (about 2 hours).

Substitute chickpeas with other legumes to make a delicious lentil pasta or pasta e fagioli.

Flavor base

Like most Italian recipes, pasta e ceci relies on a flavor base (soffritto in Italian) to add depth of flavor.

To make the flavor base you’ll need:

• Extra virgin olive oil: substitute regular olive oil.
• Yellow onion: substitute white onion or shallots.
• Garlic: fresh, minced, pressed, or finely chopped.

Rosemary

Fresh rosemary is the best hardy herb for this dish. It adds that rustic and earthy Italian flavor we all love so much.

Substitute dried rosemary for fresh; start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more if necessary.

You can also add bay leaves, thyme, or a few sage leaves if you like.

Tomatoes

You can use canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to make a rich tomato sauce to simmer the chickpeas.

Substitute whole canned peeled tomatoes or tomato puree for crushed tomatoes.

Some prefer pasta e ceci without tomato. In this case, substitute vegetable broth for the tomatoes.

Vegetable Broth

You can use homemade or store-bought vegetable broth. If store-bought, we recommend low-sodium vegetable broth.

Chicken broth works, too, if that’s your jam.

Salt and Black Pepper

We like using sea salt, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper for some heat.

Add-ins

Add-ins are optional and not authentic. They don’t appear in the original Italian recipe. However, they are still delicious.

• Potatoes: peel them, chop them into bite-size pieces, and add them with chickpeas.
• Kale: rinse, chop, and add in with the chickpeas.
• Spinach: rinse and add it with the pasta.
• Carrots and celery: finely chop, and add in with the onion.

Parmesan (optional)

Many of you asked if you could add parmesan rind to pasta e ceci.

Parmesan rind is good to eat, but the parmesan must be authentic Italian, either Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, as they don’t contain any chemicals or additives.

To use it, scrape the rind with a knife to remove some of the exterior parts, rinse it, and add it to the pot when you add the broth.

The parmesan cheese rind will soften and infuse the dish with a rich, savory flavor, and you can even eat it once it’s cooked.

Optionally, you can serve pasta e ceci with a sprinkle of grated parmesan or dairy-free cheese on top or substitute pecorino cheese for parmesan.

Note: parmesan doesn’t go in the dish in the Italian recipe, but only on top, at the discretion of the person who eats the stew.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.

Add chopped onion and fry gently for 4 minutes. Add pressed garlic, a rosemary sprig, tomato paste, and fry while stirring for 1 more minute.

Now stir in the chickpeas (drained and rinsed if using canned), crushed tomatoes, and 3/4 of the vegetable broth.

Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to prevent the chickpeas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Discard the rosemary sprig and blend some – not a lot – of the chickpeas with an immersion blender.

Tip: blending some of the chickpeas adds creaminess to the dish. You can also blend a cup of the mixture in a standing blender.

Add the pasta with the remaining vegetable broth and simmer for 10 more minutes until the pasta is cooked al dente.

Stir often; the pasta will stick to the bottom if you don’t stir it.

You can add more vegetable broth to taste if the sauce is too thick and you prefer a soupier pasta e ceci.

Taste and adjust for salt, then turn the heat off and let cool down for a couple of minutes.

Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, some freshly cracked pepper, and optionally a grating of parmesan cheese.

Pasta e ceci is a nutrition and fulfilling main dish that goes well with a light side dish of greens or veggies. Try it with:

• Roasted eggplant with grated garlic and fresh herbs.
• Sautéed green beans
• Sautéed kale with garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Roasted broccoli florets with garlic and fresh lemon.
• Easy 5-minute side salad with crispy greens and cherry tomatoes.
• Arugula salad with apple and lemon vinaigrette.

Sides

Roasted Eggplant

Sides

Sautéed Kale

Salads

Arugula Salad

Sides

Roasted Broccoli

Lagane e ceci

In a large skillet, gently fry 2 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for one minute.

Add 8 cherry tomatoes (halved), season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in 2 cans (15-ounce each or 3 cups cooked) chickpeas and a handful of chopped parsley, and cook for 1 minute.

Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Stir in 12 ounces or 340 grams of Lagane pasta (or any other pasta), 1 more cup of vegetable broth if using dry pasta, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Stir often.

Serve with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

Pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans) is another delicious, comforting Italian recipe perfect for a nourishing, wholesome, and tasty family dinner.

Making it is easy, and you can use your favorite beans.

Check out our pasta e fagioli recipe.

Lentil pasta

You’ll love lentil pasta because it’s easy to make with green or brown lentils and has a rich and earthy taste.

It’s also super nutritious and healthy, with plenty of plant protein to stay full.

Check out our lentil pasta recipe.

Make ahead: to make pasta e ceci in advance, we recommend undercooking the pasta by 5 minutes so that it doesn’t overcook as it sits in the hot stew. Then, when you are ready to serve, warm up the dish with an extra cup of water for a few minutes, and you are good to go.

Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb most of the liquid and thicken the dish. Reheat with a dash of water, either in a pot or in the microwave.

Freezer: this recipe is not the best for freezing because the pasta will get mushy once thawed.

If you don’t mind that, you can freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months, then reheat it in the microwave.

Here are some more delicious chickpea recipes:

• Easy hummus with dried or canned chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon.
• 15-minute chickpea salad with fresh veggies and mustard dressing.
• Chickpea curry: ready in 30 minutes and perfect for weekday dinners.
• Quick chickpea pasta salad with fresh veggies.
• Chickpea soup with Italian herbs and potatoes.

Dips and Spreads

Hummus

Pasta

Hummus Pasta

Mains

Chickpea Curry

Soups

Chickpea Soup