Pasta e Ceci
Chickpeas and small pasta share one rosemary-scented pot, landing somewhere between soup and sauce.
Authentic Italian01Crushed chickpeas thicken the broth naturally.
02Cooking pasta in the pot keeps every bit of starch.
03A short rest gives the dish its spoonable texture.
Cook it calmly.
- 01
Start the base
Warm garlic and rosemary in olive oil, then add tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes.
- 02
Add the chickpeas
Crush one quarter of the chickpeas, then add all of them with the stock.
- 03
Cook the pasta in the pot
Bring to a lively simmer, add pasta and stir often until al dente. Add water if the pot tightens too soon.
- 04
Rest and serve
Remove rosemary and rest for 5 minutes. Finish with olive oil and Pecorino if using.
Common mistakes
- Using too little liquid at the start.
- Walking away after adding the pasta.
- Serving immediately before the broth settles.
The detail that changes the dish.
Stir more often than you would for boiled pasta. Small shapes settle on the base of the pot and can stick while nobody is looking.
Pasta, chickpeas and the useful middle ground
Pasta e ceci sits between soup and pasta sauce. Chickpeas provide body while small pasta releases starch directly into the broth.
Versions appear across central and southern Italy, sometimes red with tomato and sometimes pale. This one uses a modest tomato base and rosemary.
A family of regional pantry dishes
Pasta and chickpeas appear in several Italian regions, including Lazio, Campania and Puglia. Local versions differ in pasta shape, herbs and the amount of tomato.
Rather than claim one universal recipe, this version follows the shared principle of legumes, small pasta and a broth thickened by starch.
Crush some chickpeas, not all
Whole chickpeas give texture; crushed chickpeas thicken the liquid. Cooking the pasta in the same pot makes the broth increasingly creamy.
Stir more often than you would for boiled pasta. Small shapes settle on the base of the pot and can stick while nobody is looking.
At the table
Rest briefly and finish with olive oil. Add Pecorino only if you want a richer bowl.
Later, if needed
Refrigerate for 3 days. It thickens considerably, so reheat with water. Freeze the chickpea base without pasta.
Be realistic
Freeze the chickpea base without pasta for up to 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Should pasta e ceci be soupy?+
It should be spoonable and loose when hot, then thicken as it rests.
Can I use dried chickpeas?+
Yes. Soak and cook them until tender first, reserving their cooking liquid for the dish.
