Pasta e ceci is a classic Italian dish of cucina povera (‘poor kitchen’ referring to the nation’s tradition of peasant food). It makes a brilliant weeknight supper in the cooler months and can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. You can add a handful of chopped greens for the last couple of minutes of cooking, too.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
¾ tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 x 400-g can chickpeas beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 Parmesan or pecorino rind (optional)
150g short pasta shapes, like ditali or macaroni
Grated Parmesan or pecorino, to serve (optional)
SERVES 4
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and fry for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and rosemary and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato purée and fry, stirring, for a couple of minutes until slightly caramelized.
Stir in the chickpeas, stock and Parmesan rind (if using) and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and simmer for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions.
Take off the heat and stand for a couple of minutes to allow the pasta to finish cooking. Serve with a grind of black pepper and some grated Parmesan or pecorino on top.
COOK’S TIP Save your Parmesan (or pecorino) rinds for this soup as they add a lovely depth of flavour to the broth. You can pop them in the freezer until you need them and there’s no need to defrost them before adding to the broth.
This recipe is from Pulse by Eleanor Maidment. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.