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Pasta E Ceci
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Pasta e Ceci

This is Italian comfort food at its best: pasta and chickpeas in a thick, savory broth. The two key techniques are blending half the chickpeas to make the soup creamy without any cream, and cooking the pasta directly in the pot, which thickens the broth and infuses the pasta with flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces pancetta diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind optional, but highly recommended
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces small pasta like ditalini or small shells
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Method

  • Cook pancetta in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 5-7 minutes.
  • Add oil, onion, carrot; cook until soft, 6-8 minutes.
  • Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute.
  • Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, Parmesan rind, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes.
  • Remove rosemary and Parmesan rind.
  • Blend 1/3 of soup until smooth using immersion blender.
  • Add pasta, cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.
  • Season to taste and serve with grated Parmesan.

Notes

Add more broth if soup becomes too thick while pasta cooks.