A classic Italian dish, pasta e ceci is perfect for a casual weeknight dinner. Featuring a combination of short pasta and hearty chickpeas. All cooked in a tomato sauce flavored with generous amounts of garlic and herbs. And made rich, thick, and creamy with the addition of purred chickpeas mixed into the sauce.
What is Pasta e Ceci?
Pasta e ceci is a classic cucina povera lit. “poor kitchen” dish from central and southern Italy. And it is basically a cousin to other hearty Italian dishes like pasta e fagioli (pasta & beans) and pasta e lenticchie (pasta & lentils). Not only because of the similar method in which these dishes are all cooked. But also the fact that they all mainly consist of a combination of short pasta and legumes. Or in the case of pasta e ceci, chickpeas.
And I know you’re going to love this dish because it’s super easy to make. For starters, all you need is a few simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. Secondly, it comes together in minutes making it great for a busy weeknight dinner. And last but not least the entire dish is traditionally cooked in one pot, so there’s less cleanup. What’s not to love about all that?!
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What type of pasta should you use?: Traditionally ditalini is the most common type of pasta used to make pasta e ceci. However, pretty much any type of small or short pasta will work great in this dish. For example, elbow macaroni, cavatalli, anelli, small shells, or even mini farfalle are all perfectly acceptable options.
- Adjust the thickness: The thickness of pasta e ceci can vary quite significantly depending on whos making it. Some versions are thin and almost soupy, while others are rather thick and “dry”. And honestly, neither version is more correct than the other, it really just comes down to personal preference. The reason I’m bringing this up is that today’s recipe is definitely on the thick side of the spectrum. So if you want to thin it out simply add some hot water (roughly ½ to 2 cups) at the end until it is your desired consistency.
- Stock instead of water: I personally like to use regular old tap water for making this dish. However, I just want to mention that you can add a little bit more flavor to the dish by swapping the water out with either chicken or vegetable stock. It’s totally up to you.
- Serving suggestions: Pasta e ceci is hearty and filling enough that you can easily eat it all by itself. However, I like to give each serving a little bit more body by drizzling on extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. And of course, some crusty bread, and maybe a small salad on the side definitely doesn’t hurt.
Other Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpea Sauce) Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 Small onion, finely diced
1 Small carrot, finely diced
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 Bay leaf
2 to 3 Sprigs of fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon of dried
28oz. Can of tomatoes (whole, diced, crushed, or passata)
2 15oz. Cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
4 Cups of water, or stock
½ Teaspoon of salt & pepper, plus more to taste
1 Lb of short pasta
Instructions
- Sautee vegetables and aromatics: Add the ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pot and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot toss in the onion along with the carrot. Sautee both ingredients for a few minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs. Continue to sautee everything for another minute.
- Make the sauce: Add the can of tomatoes to the pot and stir to combine it with everything. Let the tomatoes cook and reduce for roughly 5 minutes.
Then add the chickpeas, water, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir everything together. Let this come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let everything simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. After that time you can remove the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary if you prefer.
- Puree some of the chickpeas: Use a slotted spoon to remove roughly half of the chickpeas from the pot. Add these to either a countertop blender or a bowl/cup if you plan on using an immersion blender.
Then blend the chickpeas for 1 to 2 minutes or until the chickpeas break down and form a puree.
Set the pureed chickpeas aside for now, they will be used to thicken up the sauce at the end.
- Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the same pot with the sauce and give everything a good stir. Let the sauce come back to a simmer then let the pasta cook in the sauce per the packet instructions until it’s tender. Just make sure to stir the pot often as the pasta has a tendency to stick to the bottom while cooking.
- Finish the dish: Add the pureed chickpeas back to the pot and stir them into the sauce. This should make the sauce nice, thick, and creamy.
However, if you prefer the sauce to have a thinner consistency you can always add a splash or two of water. That’s entirely up to you. But once you’ve made it the consistency you like taste some of the pasta. Then add additional salt and pepper to your personal preference.
- Serve the pasta e ceci into individual bowls, top with some grated parmesan, and enjoy!
Pasta E Ceci (Pasta With Chickpea Sauce) Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Small onion finely diced
- 1 Small carrot finely diced
- 3 Cloves of garlic minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 to 3 Sprigs of fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon of dried
- 28 oz. Can of tomatoes whole, diced, crushed, or passata
- 2 15 oz. Cans of chickpeas drained & rinsed
- 4 Cups of water or stock
- ½ Teaspoon of salt & pepper plus more to taste
- 1 Lb of short pasta
Instructions
- Sautee vegetables and aromatics: Add the ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pot and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot toss in the onion along with the carrot. Sautee both ingredients for a few minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs. Continue to sautee everything for another minute.
- Make the sauce: Add the can of tomatoes to the pot and stir to combine it with everything. Let the tomatoes cook and reduce for roughly 5 minutes. Then add the chickpeas, water, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir everything together. Let this come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let everything simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. After that time you can remove the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary if you prefer.
- Puree some of the chickpeas: Use a slotted spoon to remove roughly half of the chickpeas from the pot. Add these to either a countertop blender or a bowl/cup if you plan on using an immersion blender. Then blend the chickpeas for 1 to 2 minutes or until the chickpeas break down and form a puree. Set the pureed chickpeas aside for now, they will be used to thicken up the sauce at the end.
- Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the same pot with the sauce and give everything a good stir. Let the sauce come back to a simmer then let the pasta cook in the sauce per the packet instructions until it’s tender. Just make sure to stir the pot often as the pasta has a tendency to stick to the bottom while cooking.
- Finish the dish: Add the pureed chickpeas back to the pot and stir them into the sauce. This should make the sauce nice, thick, and creamy. However, if you prefer the sauce to have a thinner consistency you can always add a splash or two of water. That’s entirely up to you. But once you’ve made it the consistency you like taste some of the pasta. Then add additional salt and pepper to your personal preference.
- Serve the pasta e ceci into individual bowls, top with some grated parmesan, and enjoy!
