pasta-ceci-0057Here is another typical dish of the Italian traditional cuisine that’s a bit underestimated outside of Italy. Yet chickpeas nutritious and digestible, a good source of essential fatty acids, containing a high percentage of carbohydrates. 100 grams of cooked chickpeas provides only 120 calories, a lot of vitamins, proteins and minerals, especially iron and calcium.

pasta-ceci-0064I originally thought of adding the word “skinny” to the title of this recipe. I know for a fact that the word “skinny” is tempting us all! I wouldn’t be cheating since this “pasta and chickpeas” is definitely lighter than any lasagne dish or pizza. As you can see from the pics, it is not drowning in melting cheese (I let mac and cheese win the prize of foodporn par excellence).

pasta-ceci-0001However, this is not even what we would call skinny in Italy: it is just what we normally eat, what my mum still cooks at least a couple of times a month. Something easy to make that includes all the ingredients we love the most: pasta, tomatoes, Parmesan and a perfect measure of fragrant olive oil. Can you see why I like this dish so much?

pasta-ceci-0060

Pasta e Ceci (Chickpea with Pasta) with Sun dried Tomatoes

  • 1 can cooked chickpeas
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 litre of cooking water
  • 100 g of cut spaghetti (or small pasta shapes)
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 tsp dried chilli (optional)
  • 4-5 sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
  • 25 ml of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of Parmesan
  • Salt and chopped parsley to season
  1. Pour the olive oil into a heavy based saucepan and heat gently.
  2. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry over a gentle heat till soft and golden.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes (sun dired tomatoes included) and stir fry for a couple of minutes before adding the cooked chickpeas, water and the seasonings. Simmer for approx 10 mins, then remove about half of the soup and blend (I used a blender). Keep aside.
  4. Add the raw pasta to the pot then simmer gently, stirring regularly to make sure the pasta doesn’t start sticking to the base of the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary.
  5. Once the pasta is almost done, return the pureed soup to the pan, cook for one minute more (if you want to evaporate all the liquids and get it denser) then let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
  6. Serve with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan and chopped parsley.

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15 Comments

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  1. What a gorgeous looking pasta dish. I love chickpeas & I wasn’t sure if using them in pasta was traditionally Italian or not. I must try this dish one day!! I actually SORT OF tried out your papaya smoothie recipe. The only thing is I added various fruits (they were about to go bad) & I used orange juice in place of water. I also only used a few pieces of papaya. The smoothie was excellent, nevertheless so I can’t wait to try out this recipe! 🙂 Beautiful photos as per usual, Daniela!!

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  9. A friend of mine learned how to make chickpea-based creamy pasta from an Italian cooking class last year and it’s like a healthier version of “Alfredo.” You make your own veggie stock, soak and cook dried chickpeas and blend them together in a creamy sauce. I love the name, Pasta e Ceci, it sounds pretty cute! Looks wonderful with the sun-dried tomatoes.

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    1. Yes, in some part of Italy this dish is made the way you just said! blending part of the chickpeas with some stock provides a light creamy texture… Next time, I’ll make it this way, thanks for suggesting it Rika!

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  12. such a lovely,fresh and flavored pasta dish…and we can feel how magical fragrant olive oil makes this dish…chickpeas are a favorite at home….and this dish is simply irresistible,thanks so much for sharing this scrumptious pasta 🙂

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