• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Pina Bresciani

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Extras
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Extras
  • About
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Pasta / Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Soup)

    Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Soup)

    Published February 27, 2020   ·   Last updated March 1, 2022   ·   By Pina   ·   18 Comments

    4.0K shares
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for pasta e ceci

    Pasta e ceci is a one pot Italian chickpea soup with pasta that originated in Rome. It’s a perfect meal where the flavors combine beautifully to make a perfect hearty soup to eat on a cold winter night. 

    Overhead shot of a bowl of pasta e ceci with two spoons in it

    Pasta e ceci is undeniably my mom’s most famous dish. If people are going to her house for dinner, they request she make it. Even my cousin Danny likes it, who is one of the pickier eaters in our family. Aldo, a family friend and handyman that comes by to do odd jobs around her house requests that he gets paid in dishes of pasta e ceci. It’s THAT GOOD.

    The best part of pasta e ceci is that it can be made in one pot. So it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner when the last thing you want to do is wash a million pots after dinner.

    What is Pasta e Ceci?

    Pasta a Ceci is an Italian chickpea soup with pasta that is also flavored with tomatoes, onions, celery and carrots.

    Is it pasta or is it soup? Well the answer is that it’s a bit of both. Some people prefer it more soup-y with more liquid in it, and others (myself included) prefer it more hearty with more pasta in it than broth (as pictured). That’s one of the beauties of this dish- you can customize it to your liking.

    Some recipes omit the canned tomatoes, or cook the pasta on the side, and then add it to the soup – there are so many variations of this recipe out there! But this is the version that I grew up with.

    What Pasta to Use?

    Small shell pasta as pictured works well. But any small cut of pasta would work, like ditaliani, or anellini.

    Why Canned Chickpeas?

    A few reasons. First reason is that this is my mom’s recipe, and she uses canned chickpeas, so I didn’t want to deviate too far from the original recipe.

    Second reason is that to me, this dish is convenient and easy, and the canned chickpeas add to that convenience. I suppose you could use dry chickpeas in this dish, but the procedure and steps might be different. This recipe is designed to use canned chickpeas.

    Two bowls of pasta e ceci on a blue napkin

    How to Make Pasta e Ceci – Step by Step

    On medium heat, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery and carrot. Add garlic when vegetables are about halfway cooked. Let cook until all vegetables are tender (photo 1)

    Add crushed strained tomatoes, chick peas, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to the pot (note – when adding the chick peas, add the liquid from the can too. This will add extra flavor). Let the tomato sauce reduce until thick – about 30 minutes (photos 2 & 3)

    Add chicken or vegetable broth to the pot (photo 4) Let it come to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

    Add pasta to pot once the soup is boiling (photo 5) Let pasta cook until it’s soft. Since this is a soup, you want the consistency of the pasta to be cooked a bit more than al dente (photo 6)

    Plate, and top with olive oil, parmesan and chili flakes

    Step by step photos on how to make pasta e ceci Top Tips:

    • Add the liquid from the canned chickpeas (aquafaba) too – this will give the dish more flavor. Concerned that there’s too much sodium in the liquid? Don’t be! This just means that you will have to add less salt to the dish during the cooking process. Not only will the canned chickpea liquid add more flavor, it’s also full of starch, which makes for a great binder and adds beautiful texture to the soup.
    • As the soup sits, it will thicken up as it absorbs more broth. Add more broth if you prefer the soup more liquid.
    • This soup calls for small shell pasta, but you can use any cut of small pasta. Ditalini or anellini would work well too.

    Bowl of chick pea soup with salt and parsley in the background

    More Easy Pasta Recipes You Might Like:

    • Eggplant Pasta with Tomato and Mozzarella (Pasta alla Norma)
    • Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta with Creamy Burrata
    • Penne Pasta with Lemony Ricotta, Zucchini and Arugula

    If you’ve tried making this Pasta e Ceci, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

    Overhead shot of a bowl of pasta e ceci with two spoons in it
    4.65 from 53 votes
    Print

    Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Soup)

    Pasta e ceci is a one pot Italian chickpea soup with pasta that originated in Rome. It's warm and comforting on a cold night, and the flavours of the celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes and chickpeas come together beautifully. 

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 226 kcal
    Author Pina Bresciani

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp. olive oil
    • 1/2 cup chopped onion
    • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
    • 1/2 cup chopped celery
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 3 cups crushed strained tomatoes
    • 1 540mL can chick peas with liquid
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 L chicken broth or vegetable broth
    • 2 ½ cups small shell pasta
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    To finish:

    • Extra olive oil for drizzle
    • Parmesan cheese q.b.
    • chili flakes q/b.

    Instructions

    1. On medium heat, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery and carrot. Add garlic when vegetables are about halfway cooked. Let cook until all vegetables are tender.
    2. Add crushed strained tomatoes, chick peas, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to the pot (note – when adding the chick peas, add the liquid from the can too. This will add extra flavor). Let the tomato sauce reduce until thick – about 30 minutes.

    3. Add chicken or vegetable broth to the pot. Let it come to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
    4. Add pasta to pot once the soup is boiling. Let pasta cook until it’s soft. Since this is a soup, you want the consistency of the pasta to be cooked a bit more than al dente.
    5. Plate, and top with olive oil, parmesan and chili flakes.

    Recipe Video

    Recipe Notes

    • Add the liquid from the canned chickpeas (aquafaba) too – this will give the dish more flavor. Concerned that there’s too much sodium in the liquid? Don’t be! This just means that you will have to add less salt to the dish during the cooking process. Not only will the canned chickpea liquid add more flavor, it’s also full of starch, which makes for a great binder and adds beautiful texture to the soup.
    • As the soup sits, it will thicken up as it absorbs more broth. Add more broth if you prefer the soup more liquid.
    • This soup calls for small shell pasta, but you can use any cut of small pasta. Ditalini would work well too. 
    Nutrition Facts
    Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Soup)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 226 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 1396mg61%
    Potassium 752mg21%
    Carbohydrates 31g10%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 2080IU42%
    Vitamin C 36.6mg44%
    Calcium 78mg8%
    Iron 2.6mg14%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    40

    Filed Under: Mom's Recipes, Pasta, Popular, Soups

    Primary Sidebar

    About me

    Hello! My name is Pina and I love Italian food and culture! Here you'll find delicious Italian-inspired recipes with a fresh west coast spin. Buon Appetito!

    Load up on new recipes, exclusive goodies, + more!

    Get the exclusive content you crave straight to your inbox.

    Copyright © 2023 Pina Bresciani | Privacy Policy

    4.0K shares