Pasta e Ceci

Servings: 4 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40 min · Total: 55 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups Canned chickpeas
• 1 1/2 cups Dry ditalini pasta
• 1 each Yellow onion
• 1 each Carrot
• 1 each Celery stalk
• 3 each Garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 1 cup No-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Fresh rosemary leaves
• 5 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon Fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

Equipment

Measuring Cups; Measuring Spoons; Knife; Cutting Board; Colander; Fork; Wooden spoon; Medium bowl; produce brush; 5-quart heavy-bottomed pot; measuring cups; measuring spoons; knife; cutting board; colander; fork; wooden spoon; medium bowl

Steps

1. Prepare the vegetables and herbs. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Rinse the vegetables and rosemary under running water, scrub the carrot with a clean produce brush, and remove damaged areas. Dry before preparing the vegetables, garlic, and rosemary as listed.
   • 1 Each yellow onion — peeled and finely diced
   • 1 Each carrot — peeled and finely diced
   • 1 Each celery — finely diced
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 2 teaspoons rosemary — finely chopped

   Wash hands with soap and water, but do not use soap on the vegetables or herbs.

2. Mash a portion of the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then measure 3 cups. Place 1 cup in the bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork into a coarse paste. Keep the remaining 2 cups whole.
   • 1 cup chickpeas — drained and rinsed
   • 2 cups chickpeas — drained and rinsed
3. Soften the aromatic vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned. Reduce the heat slightly if the vegetables begin to color before softening.
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil
   • 1 Each yellow onion — peeled and finely diced
   • 1 Each carrot — peeled and finely diced
   • 1 Each celery — finely diced
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt

   Use care when adding vegetables to the hot oil.

4. Build the tomato and rosemary flavor. Add the garlic and rosemary and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns a deeper brick red. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the tomato paste from the bottom.
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 2 teaspoons rosemary — finely chopped
   • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
   • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
5. Simmer the chickpea base. Add the mashed chickpeas, whole chickpeas, 4 cups of the broth, and the black pepper. Stir well to disperse the mashed chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   • 1 cup chickpeas — drained and rinsed
   • 2 cups chickpeas — drained and rinsed
   • 4 cups vegetable broth
   • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

   Stir the hot soup carefully to avoid splashes.

6. Cook the ditalini in the soup. Stir in the ditalini and maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Cook uncovered until the pasta is just tender, approximately 10–12 minutes, checking it at the cooking time indicated on its package. Stir every minute or two, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the reserved 1 cup broth in 1/4-cup increments as the pasta absorbs liquid, incorporating the full amount by the end of cooking.
   • 1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
   • 1 cup vegetable broth

   Stir carefully around the hot, simmering soup to avoid splashes.

7. Rest and check the consistency. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes. The soup should be thick and spoonable, with broth coating the pasta and chickpeas rather than a dry, tightly packed consistency.

   Take care when moving the hot pot off the heat.

8. Finish and serve all four bowls. Divide among four bowls. Divide the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1/2 cup Parmesan among all four servings: each bowl receives 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil
   • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese — finely grated

   Serve the hot soup carefully.

https://plumtally.com/recipes/pasta-e-ceci-rax0j1zez34x