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.
Servings 4
Calories 556kcal
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
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
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 2304mg | Potassium: 801mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6330IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 5mg