Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea Soup)

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

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

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 226kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

3 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrots
½ 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

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.
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.
Add chicken or vegetable broth to the pot. Let it come to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
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.
Plate, and top with olive oil, parmesan and chili flakes.

Video

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