Pasta e Ceci
Pasta e Ceci is a hearty Italian pasta and chickpea soup with ditalini, kale, and a rich tomato broth flavored with rosemary. Finely grated carrots melt into the base, while cooking the pasta directly in the soup releases starch for its thick, stew-like texture.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 191kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 parmigiano rind optional
- 2 14 oz cans chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup ditalini
- 2 small heads lacinato kale
Instructions
- Prep the onions by finely chopping. Grate the carrots through the smallest hole on the box grater. You want them as small as possible so they basically melt right into the soup.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the crushed red pepper, carrots, and onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the carrots soften. The volume of the vegetables should noticeably decrease. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to thicken. Simmering the tomatoes before adding the stock will help us layer in the flavor and seasoning at each step. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Pour in the stock and combine well with the tomatoes. Raise the heat to bring to a boil. Add in the rosemary sprigs and parmesan rind, if using.
- Once the stock is boiling, add in the beans and pasta along with ¼ teaspoon salt. Lower the heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir every 1-2 minutes to avoid the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- When the pasta is al dente, remove the parmesan rind and rosemary sprigs. Turn off the heat and add the kale on top of the soup and cover the pot for 3 minutes. Once wilted, stir the kale into the soup.
- Serve immediately because the pasta will eventually soak up more broth and continue to soften. Top with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
- Grate the carrots as small as possible. You want their natural sweetness without chunks of carrot in the finished soup. Finely grated carrots soften right into the tomato base as they cook.
- Cook the crushed tomatoes first. Simmering the tomatoes before adding the stock concentrates their flavor and cooks away some of that raw tomato taste. It also gives you another chance to season the soup in layers.
- Add a parm rind. Parmesan rinds are packed with naturally occurring free glutamates. What the hell does that mean? It means it's made of the same stuff that MSG is. These add that savory umami flavor with no extra work!
- Stir the pasta often. Pasta cooked in soup is more likely to settle and stick than pasta boiling in a big pot of water. Stir every 2 minutes, scraping across the bottom of the pot so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the pasta in the soup. Some people cook the pasta separately to make leftovers easier, but I want the best possible soup right now. Cooking the pasta directly in the broth releases starch and gives pasta e ceci its thick, stew-like texture. The spoonful below shows the consistency you’re looking for—thick enough to cling to the pasta and chickpeas, but still loose enough to spoon. Keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it rests.
Nutrition
Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3533IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
