Pasta e ceci

Pasta e Ceci is my parents' favourite soup. They are fond of this thick type of soup. As a teenager, I was not too fond of it. This soup was, without a doubt, in my top 5 of the dishes that I disliked. It is not that I didn't like the taste, but the concept of thick soups was not very comforting to me. Today, pasta e Ceci is in my top 5 comfort foods. It is nutritious, easy to make, keeps you full for a long time and is perfect in any weather.

serves: four
cooking time: 3h (+ one night of preparation)

INGREDIENTS

  • 200gr of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 fresh twig rosemary, needles finely chopped
  • a big splash of olive oil
  • 250g passata di pomodoro
  • 1 litre bouillon
  • 150g pasta (whatever shape you like)
  • salt and pepper
  • parmesan cheese, grated

HOW TO MAKE IT?

Start by simmering the soaked chickpeas in 2 litres of water for 2 hours.

When the chickpeas are almost ready, heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic, sage and rosemary for 2 minutes. When everything is sautéed, add the passata di Pomodoro and the stock. Let everything simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.

Take half of the chickpeas out of the pan, blend them with your food processor, and set them aside.

Take the lid off your saucepan and increase the heat. Add pasta to the soup and cook it al dente according to the instructions. Spoon the cooked and mixed chickpeas into the soup, along with a cup of cooking liquid. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup warm in a soup bowl, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, I prefer spicy Sicilian olive oil, and some parmesan cheese to taste.

Tip: do you want to be ready more quickly? Instead of using dried chickpeas, which you have to soak, you can also use 600 grams of canned chickpeas. There is no need to simmer tinned chickpeas; save the liquid and add it to your soup. The soup should then be ready in 45 minutes.

There you go, your plate of comfort is ready. 

Buon appetito 😘

Michelle

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