This pasta dish is just as delicious as pasta carbonara, but you don’t know it yet (and here’s how to make it)
As the ultimate pasta lover, I thought I had pretty much seen or tasted every pasta dish by now. Of course, that wasn’t true. I came across a pasta dish that turned out to be so delicious that I regret having to spend the first 30 years of my life without it. Meet pasta e ceci, or pasta with chickpeas.
I’d bet this dish is just as delicious as pasta carbonara—if it doesn’t knock this classic off its throne. In any case, it’s good news for the vegetarians among us, who unfortunately have to skip pasta carbonara. Even more plus points: it’s super easy to make and inexpensive. Delicious!
The ultimate comfort food
Pasta e ceci is pasta with a flavorful chickpea sauce. It regularly appears on restaurant menus in Italy and is frequently made in Italian households. If you look at the menus of Italian restaurants outside Italy, including in the Netherlands, pasta e ceci is rarely offered. That’s why it isn’t really well known here yet. What a shame! Let’s hope this dish quickly gets on the radar of Italian restaurants in our little frog country. Because this chickpea pasta is the ultimate comfort food: creamy, soft and herby. Truly something to look forward to after a long day.
How to make pasta e ceci
You can make pasta e ceci with whichever type of pasta you like. A short pasta shape is often chosen, such as quadretti (which is somewhat harder to find here) or ditalini. Orzo or short fusilli are also popular choices.
- Roughly chop half an onion. Add the onion, along with the two garlic cloves and the sprig of rosemary, to a deep pan containing a generous splash of olive oil. Let everything soften over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add some salt and dried chili to the mixture. Meanwhile, rinse a can of chickpeas in a colander. Once the onion and garlic mixture in the pan is soft, add the rinsed chickpeas.
- Also add the chicken stock. Then let it simmer gently for another 15 minutes with the lid on the pan.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente and reserve some of the cooking water.
- Turn off the heat under the pan with the chickpea mixture. Remove the sprig of rosemary. Pour the mixture from the pan into your blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the smooth purée to the pan and add the Parmesan. Stir everything together. Add a few drops of lime juice.
- When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the creamy chickpea sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce combine properly with the pasta.
- Finish with some chopped chives, parsley or basil, whichever you prefer. Add extra Parmesan if desired.
Do you like giving your pasta some extra bite? Then you can choose to add whole chickpeas. Extra vegetables are also an option, to make it a little more nutritious. Think finely chopped tomato or two grilled peppers from a jar.
Also read:
- Horoscope: this pasta matches your zodiac sign
- This is the secret ingredient for the most delicious pasta sauce
- This is why vodka makes your pasta sauce unbelievably delicious
Recipe: @cocolarkincooks
