Name: Pasta e Ceci (One Pot Pasta with Chickpeas!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion (diced); 3 cloves garlic (crushed); 2 stalks celery (diced small (1/2 cup diced)); 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced small (1/2 cup diced)); 1 sprig rosemary; 4 tablespoons tomato paste; Pinch red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 x 14-ounce cans, drained and rinsed); 6 cups vegetable broth*; 2 cups 200g tubetti rigati, small shells or other small pasta shape; 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese; 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale shredded into ribbons (about 2 cups packed); Good olive oil (fresh cracked pepper, and pecorino to serve)

Servings

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Jump to Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Pasta e Ceci is an easy vegetarian recipe that delivers big flavor from simple ingredients. This classic Italian chickpea and pasta stew cooks all in one pot, creating a brothy bowl of creamy chickpeas, perfectly al dente pasta, and tender vegetables. Nourishing, delicious, and packed with plant-based protein.

A bowl of pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) topped with parmesan cheese

It's a soup! It's a stew! It's Pasta e Ceci!

Pasta e ceci—the ceci is pronounced CHEH-chee—is a traditional Italian dish that has the kind of rustic, comfort food vibes we all crave. If you’re looking for a dinner that’s easy, healthy, and satisfying, this Italian chickpea and pasta stew checks all those boxes. And did I mention it all cooks in one pot?

Pasta e Ceci is one of those recipes where there are approximately eleventy-billion different versions since it’s been around for literal centuries. Some versions are more like a soup, others are thicker and more stew-like, and others still lean more towards a saucy pasta dish. This means you, too, can put your own spin on it!

This recipe is further proof that the Italians get it right when it comes to combining simple ingredients. (This Kale and White Bean Soup and these Marry Me Chickpeas also prove that point.)And since I have my nutritionist hat on, I must tell you that beans and greens join forces to make this recipe healthy and hearty.

Ready to do this? Let's go!

chickpeas, pasta, broth, kale, rosemary, carrots, celery, tomato paste, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes on a marble background

Let's Make Pasta e Ceci together

Step 1: sauté

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they’re translucent; this should take about 3 minutes.

overhead photo of carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary being cooked in a stainless steel frying pan

Stir in the garlic, celery, carrots, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt. Continue to sauté for more 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: deepen those flavors

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes, or until it darkens slightly.

overhead photo of vegetables being cooked in a stainless steel saucepan with tomato sauce added in

Step 3: add the chickpeas

Stir in the chickpeas, then use a potato masher to mash about ¼ of the chickpeas. Their starches will thicken the pasta e ceci.

overhead phot of chickpeas being mashed in a saucepan with cooked vegetables

Step 4: cook the pasta

Pour in the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

a simmering pot of vegetables, chickpeas, and broth with pasta added in

Add the pasta, stirring to combine with the broth. Once the mixture returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: add the greens

Once the pasta is cooked, reduce the heat to low. Stir in the kale and cheese.

overhead photo of pasta, vegetables, chickpeas, broth, kale, and parmesan in a stainless steel saucepan

Step 6: serve!

Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil, more Pecorno, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

olive oil being poured over a bowl of pasta e ceci on a grey background

pasta e ceci in a white bowl on a grey background with rosemary sprigs

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5 from 4 votes

Pasta e Ceci (One Pot Pasta with Chickpeas!)

Pasta e Ceci is an easy and delicious vegetarian recipe. This classic Italian chickpea and pasta stew is comfort food to the max! Everything comes together in one pot on the stovetop, combining creamy chickpeas with perfectly al dente pasta in a veggie-loaded broth. Simple, nourishing, and packed with plant-based protein.

Course Main Course, pasta

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword pasta e ceci, pasta with chickpeas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 556kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 stalks celery diced small (½ cup diced)
2 medium carrots peeled and diced small (½ cup diced)
1 sprig rosemary
4 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 x 14-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth*
2 cups 200g tubetti rigati, small shells or other small pasta shape
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
½ bunch Tuscan kale shredded into ribbons about 2 cups packed
Good olive oil fresh cracked pepper, and pecorino to serve

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Add the onions, and sauté until translucent - about 3 minutes.
1 medium yellow onion
Add the garlic, celery, carrots, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes more.
3 cloves garlic, 2 stalks celery, 2 medium carrots, 1 sprig rosemary, Pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt
Add the tomato paste, and sauté 2-3 minutes, until it begins to take on a deeper shade of red.
4 tablespoons tomato paste
Add the chickpeas, and stir to combine with the aromatics.
3 cups cooked chickpeas
Using a potato masher, mash about ¼-1/3 of the chickpeas.
Add the broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the flavor off the bottom of the pot and into the broth. Increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
6 cups vegetable broth*
Add the pasta, stirring to combine with the broth.
2 cups 200g tubetti rigati, small shells or other small pasta shape
Once the mixture boils again, reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until the pasta is al dente. You will need to scrape the bottom now and then to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Once the pasta is cooked, reduce the heat to low. Add the kale ribbons and Pecorino, and stir to combine.
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ½ bunch Tuscan kale shredded into ribbons
Serve hot, with a drizzle of good olive oil, more Pecorno, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
Good olive oil

Notes

-Nutrition values are an estimate only.

-If you are starting by cooking dried chickpeas from scratch, please save the chickpea broth and use it in place of the vegetable broth in this recipe. It is ethereally delicious!

-You’ll want to use 2 cups of a small pasta shape, give or take. I found that 2 cups of tubetti weighed about 185g so I added a bit more to come up to 200g, whereas 2 cups of small shells was 200g on the nose.

-Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits in the broth, so be sure to remove from the heat when it has reached al dente.

-As the pasta continues to absorb liquid, leftovers will be much thicker and more stew-like than when this recipe is freshly made. You can thin it out by adding extra broth if you prefer.

-I do not recommend freezing leftovers as the pasta becomes a bit gummy. If you’re making this dish with freezer meals in mind, add everything up to the broth and then cool and freeze. When you re-heat it, you can bring to a boil and add the pasta, kale, and pecorino fresh.

Nutrition

overhead photo of pasta with chickpeas and greens in a large stainless steel saucepan

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