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Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas)
Saucier than your average pasta-with-sauce but not quite broth-y enough to be a soup, pasta e ceci is a delicious one-pot dish consisting of pasta and chickpeas cooked in a light but flavourful tomato-y sauce. It’s super tasty, easy to make, and comes together in less than 40 mins! A perfect weeknight dinner that is both healthy and hearty.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Pasta, Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 x 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 x 400 g tin of good-quality whole peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 litre good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
- 200 g short pasta
- 20 g grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
- 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- extra Grana Padano and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Instructions
- Prep the following ingredients: 1) Finely chop the sweet onion. 2) Thinly slice the garlic cloves. 3) Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 4) Pour the tinned tomatoes into a medium bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands.
- Heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and season with a generous pinch of sea salt and a couple of cracks of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins, stirring frequently. Add the fresh rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Using a potato masher or fork, crush about half of the chickpeas.
- Add the tin of whole peeled plum tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the stock and pasta, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the type of pasta you use. While the pasta is cooking, grate the Grana Padano and roughly chop the fresh parsley.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Grana Padano and fresh parsley. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste.
- To serve, divide between bowls and top with some extra Grana Padano and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
