Pasta with Chickpeas
Pasta e Ceci – A Recipe for Pasta with a Tomato-Based Chickpea Sauce
Pasta e Ceci, or pasta with chickpeas, is a regional specialty from Rome and the Lazio region in central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Fresh herbs, mild garlic, sweet tomatoes, and olive oil give the chickpea sauce its Mediterranean flavor.
The type of pasta used varies from region to region. Many chefs in Rome, in particular, swear by short pasta shapes because, in their opinion, that’s when the dish turns out best. In this recipe, we use girella pasta, but it tastes just as good with any other short pasta variety. Or you can simply choose the pasta size yourself: You can easily make fresh pasta at home using durum wheat semolina and water. With vegetable or meat broth, this pasta dish can also be served as a soup. Simply delicious.
Ingredients
300 g cooked chickpeas
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
300 g ORO di Parma strained tomatoes
400 g Girella (or other short pasta, such as orecchiette or gobetti)
Water
80 g Montello
¼ bunch of parsley
80 ml olive oil
Step 1 : The Preparation
Peel the shallots and garlic, then chop both finely. You can grate the Montello afterward. Now wash the parsley, pat it dry, and chop it finely.
Step 2 : The Sauce
Heat half of the olive oil in a pot and add the shallots, garlic, and rosemary. Sauté the ingredients over medium heat. This gentle cooking process allows all the flavors to develop and brings out a pleasant sweetness. Next, add the chickpeas and the strained tomatoes. Season the sauce with bay leaf, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Tip
Sauté the shallots to bring out their sweetness
If you sauté the shallots over low heat for 15 minutes, their flavor changes—they become sweeter. This sweetness develops when the carbohydrates in the shallots caramelize. In addition, the proteins react with the sugar, creating a savory, sweet, and malty flavor. This reaction is called the “Maillard reaction” and is named after a French scientist: Louis Camille Maillard.
Step 3 : The Pasta: Girella
Add plenty of water to the tomato sauce and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and let it continue to simmer. Make sure there’s always enough liquid in the pot so the pasta cooks through. If necessary, you can add a little more water. Let everything cook until the pasta is al dente. The elegant spiral shape and rough surface of the pasta give it a special texture and allow it to hold onto extra sauce.
Step 4 : The Finale
Arrange the pasta e ceci on a plate and finish by seasoning it with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle some grated Montello cheese and finely chopped parsley on top. Semplicemente delizioso!
Ingredients
300 g cooked chickpeas
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
300 g ORO di Parma strained tomatoes
400 g Girella (or other short pasta, such as orecchiette or gobetti)
Water
80 g Montello
¼ bunch of parsley
80 ml olive oil
