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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped and discard stem
  • 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste or 1 cup of strained tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or plain pasta sauce
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 1/2 cups dry pasta: ditalini, shells or short tube pasta
  • salt to taste

Pasta e Ceci, or pasta and chickpeas, is a simple Tuscan dish that is delicious, comforting, healthy and inexpensive. It can be made more as a soup if you prefer. The chickpeas are the star of this dish and it is a true peasant food dish. But often, the peasant foods are the healthiest. Best to use a small shaped pasta like ditalini or shells for this dish. They really scoop up the sauce and the ratio of pasta size to chick peas is quite nice. The rosemary and sage give a little more depth of flavor. The tomato paste adds a little sweetness and it all comes together so well. A great family meal!

Directions

To a large stockpot or deep sauté pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Next add the garlic, rosemary and sage. Cook for a few minutes. Then add the tomato paste and then the beans. Add in the broth and turn up the heat a little higher. Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes if you’d like. When the mixture starts to bubble, add in your pasta. Cook until al dente for 9 minutes. Then turn the heat off and put a lid on the pan for 10-15 minutes. Do less time if you’d like the dish to be more like a soup. Drizzle with extra olive oil if needed. Serve hot.