Pasta e Ceci
Romans have been cooking with chickpeas since before the Colosseum saw its first gladiator spill blood in the arena. Horace wrote about lagana e cicer (sheets of pasta with chickpeas) in his Satires, and Martial hyped their aphrodisiac qualities (I’ll buy it). Pliny the Elder even documented the popularity of chickpeas in taverns, where they were roasted and salted to keep customers drinking. Pasta e ceci is a descendant of those ancient staples and remains one of Rome’s most comforting one-pot meals. I soak my chickpeas overnight so they cook faster and more evenly. If you prefer not to, budget an additional hour or so to cook them. Overall cooking time can vary widely based on the age of the chickpeas.
11 ingredients
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Pasta e Ceci
Ingredients (11)
Ingredients (11)
Instructions
Heat the oil (¼ cup) in a large pot over low heat.
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic (1 clove), celery (1 stalk), carrot (1), onion (½ medium), and a heavy pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables are very soft.
Add the sage (6 leaves) and rosemary (2 sprigs) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chickpeas (1 lb) along with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low.
Cook, covered, until the chickpeas are cooked through and nearly falling apart.
Add the cannolicchi (12 oz) to the pot and cook until al dente, or if using fresh pasta, cook until it has lost its raw flavor.
Season with salt and pepper and serve drizzled with olive oil.
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