Pasta and Chickpea Soup (Pasta e Ceci)
Pasta e ceci Say it: PAH-stah eh CHEH-chee
Pasta e ceci is a rustic Italian soup of tender chickpeas and small short pasta in a garlicky, rosemary-scented broth. It is a staple of Lazio and southern Italy, especially in Rome and Naples, eaten as a warming everyday meal, often on meatless Fridays. Cooks mash some of the chickpeas to thicken the soup without cream, so it tastes hearty yet light, with olive oil adding a fruity finish. A pot of crusty bread is the usual accompaniment.
Pasta and Chickpea Soup (Pasta e Ceci)
Pasta e ceci
Pronounced PAH-stah eh CHEH-chee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Soup
To finish
Method
Warm the 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, until it darkens slightly.
Add the chickpeas, water or broth, remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, so the chickpeas soften and the broth tastes savory.
Remove the rosemary sprig if using fresh. Mash about one-third of the chickpeas against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, or blend about 2 cups (480 ml) of the soup until smooth and return it to the pot; the soup should look creamy but still have whole chickpeas.
Stir in the pasta and simmer, stirring often, until al dente, 8-10 minutes or according to the package. If the soup becomes too thick, add a splash of water.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 5 minutes; it will thicken further as it stands.
Ladle into bowls and drizzle with the finishing 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Regional variant: Neapolitan Pasta and Chickpeas (Pasta e ceci alla napoletana)
In Naples, the soup often skips rosemary and uses tomatoes: soften 1 chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves in olive oil, add 1 cup (240 g) crushed tomatoes and the chickpeas, and simmer for 15 minutes before adding the pasta. Finish with chopped parsley and olive oil rather than rosemary.
Cook's notes
- Stir the pasta frequently once it goes in, because the starchy soup likes to stick to the pot.
- The soup thickens as it sits; loosen leftovers with a little water or broth when reheating.
- Use a small short pasta so each spoonful catches chickpeas and pasta together.
Serve with
Crusty bread and a glass of dry white or light red wine.
Make ahead and storage
Cool and refrigerate up to 3 days; the soup thickens, so loosen with water or broth when reheating. Add cooked pasta at serving if making ahead.
