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–+ servings
Pasta e Ceci

Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpea Stew)

5 from 1 vote
Pasta e Ceci is one of those timeless recipes that feels like a warm hug in a bowl. Traditionally vegan and deeply rooted in Italy’s cucina povera, it shows just how magical simple ingredients can be. With tender chickpeas, short pasta, and a fragrant soffritto of onion, garlic, rosemary, and celery, this dish is pure comfort food. A touch of blended chickpeas gives it a creamy, cozy texture, perfect for any night of the week. Whether you’re exploring authentic Italian flavors or just need an easy plant-based dinner, Pasta e Ceci is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
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Prep Time35 minutes
+ Soaking Overnight 12 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Servings4

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 300 g dried chickpeas (or 2 x 570g jars or 3 x 400g cans, see note below)
  • 2 ¼ tbsp salt (31g)
  • 1 large onion (200g)
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 red chilli (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste (25g)
  • 300 g short pasta (like ditaloni, tubetti, conchiglie or stelline)
  • Freshly ground pepper (to serve)

Instructions 

  1. Soak the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon (14g) of the salt in around 1.5l of water overnight.
  2. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas and transfer them in a large pan with 2 litres of water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid left slightly ajar for 1 ½ hours or until just tender. Alternatively, cook with 1l of water for around 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Drain, but keep the cooking liquid.
  3. When the chickpeas have around 25 minutes left, peel and finely dice the onion and celery and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Strip and finely chop the rosemary leaves, adding the woody stem to the chickpeas (or discard if using a pressure cooker), and pierce the chilli with a knife. Sauté the rosemary and chilli (or chilli flakes) in the hot oil until the rosemary smells toasted and changes colour, then add the diced onion and celery along with the remaining 1¼ tbsp (17g) of salt and continue cooking until the onion begins to turn golden (8-10 minutes) – this is your soffritto.
  4. Peel and finely grate or crush the garlic into the pan and cook until aromatic, then stir in the tomato paste until it has dissolved evenly.
  5. Transfer a quarter (about 180g) of the chickpeas with around 250ml of their cooking liquid to a jug. Then measure the remaining cooking liquid and add enough fresh water to reach 1l. Add this along with the remaining chickpeas to the soffritto, return to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to blend the set aside chickpeas and their cooking liquid until smooth.
  6. Add the blended chickpeas and the pasta to the pan and give it a stir. Return to a boil and cook uncovered according to the packet’s instructions, or until just al dente, stirring halfway through. Turn off the heat, discard the chilli and allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes, during which it will thicken.
  7. To serve, divide over four shallow bowls and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.

Notes

  • Cooking the pasta will likely take a few minutes longer than instructed, as the soup is a gentler cooking medium than the normal rolling boil of salted water.
  • If using jarred or canned chickpeas, simply start with Step 3 and use fresh water instead of the chickpea cooking liquid. Jarred chickpeas are often pre-seasoned, so make sure to add less salt (½ tsp per jar).
  • When you add the pasta & blended chickpeas to the pan, the real magic happens - as the pasta cooks, the olive oil from the soffritto emulsifies with the starches and creates a velvety smooth broth.
  • Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.