Pasta e Cici (Ceci) | Tuscan Pasta and Chickpeas Recipe
Pasta e cici is a Tuscan pasta and chickpeas dish that sits somewhere between a soup and a stew. It starts with garlic and rosemary infused oil, onion and carrot sweated without colour, and tomato paste fried until the raw edge is gone. Blending a fifth of the chickpeas and stirring them back in gives it body and a creamier texture, and it's ready in 33 minutes with canned chickpeas and whatever short pasta you have.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Kettle
- Chef's knife
- Chopping board
- Vegetable peeler
- Digital scales
- Measuring jug
- Saucepan
- Ladle / Skimming spoon
- Tin opener
- Wooden / Stirring spoon
Ingredients
- 1 x white onion 200g / 7oz
- 2 x carrots 190g / 6.7oz
- 2 x garlic cloves
- 1 x sprig of rosemary
- 2 x tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 250 g / 8.8oz concentrated tomato paste
- 360 g / 12.5oz chickpeas garbanzo beans
- 240 g / 8.5oz pasta
- 1.2 litres / 1.2 quarts boiling water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare vegetables:
- Dice 1 white onion into a medium to fine dice
- Peel and dice 2 average-sized carrots into medium dice
- Slice 2 garlic cloves in half and peel the papery skin off
- Prepare a sprig of rosemary
- Heat a large saucepan on medium to low heat, and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the garlic and rosemary, and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the diced onions, carrots and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add 250g of concentrated tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 360g of chickpeas and enough boiling water to cover. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Optional: Scoop out 1/5 of the mixture and set it aside.
- Add 240g of pasta of your choice, and enough boiling water to cover. Season heavily with salt and bring the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, blend the reserved chickpeas mixture until smooth.
- Once pasta is cooked, add the blended chickpeas mixture to the saucepan and stir it in.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust consistency as necessary.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 86.6gProtein: 17.9gFat: 10.6gSaturated Fat: 1.4gSodium: 297mgPotassium: 1110mgFiber: 12.5gSugar: 17.2g
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