Best Pasta E Ceci Italian Pasta And Chickpea Stew Recipes

PASTA E CECI (PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and rosemary, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic softens and turns golden, about 5 minutes. Add pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook until tomato paste is fragrant and turns dark brick red, about 1 minute.
• Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, and cook until wine has emulsified with olive oil and mixture is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
• If using cooked dry chickpeas: Stir in 1 cup (170g) chickpeas and 1 cup (240ml) chickpea cooking liquid. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash chickpeas against the sides and bottom of the pot until completely broken down. Stir in the rest of the chickpeas and remaining 3 cups (710ml) cooking liquid (supplementing with stock or water as needed to reach 3 cups), and black pepper. Season with salt to taste. Proceed to Step 4. If using canned chickpeas: Remove Dutch oven from heat; remove and discard rosemary sprig. Add 1 cup (170g) chickpeas and 1 cup (240ml) stock, and using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you do not have a handheld immersion blender, transfer mixture to blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour mixture back into Dutch oven.) Stir in remaining 2 cups (340ml) of chickpeas, 3 cups (710ml) stock, and black pepper. Season with salt to taste.
• Bring chickpea mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is just shy of al dente (1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs, as the pasta will continue to cook off-heat), and liquid is reduced to a consistency that falls between soupy and saucy. Adjust consistency as needed with additional water, stock, or chickpea cooking liquid, keeping in mind that liquid will tighten up as it cools due to starch from the chickpeas.
• Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir rapidly to incorporate. Season with salt to taste. Divide between individual serving bowls (for the dried chickpea version, look out for the garlic cloves and rosemary sprig; remove and discard them), and drizzle each serving with olive oil. Serve, passing extra grated cheese at the table.

CHICKPEA PASTA STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the crushed red pepper, garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper and cook until the garlic is softened and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are coated and heated through, about 3 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about a quarter of the chickpeas; this will help thicken the stew and give it body.
• Stir in the marinara sauce, pasta, lemon zest, Parmesan rind and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is very al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the greens and continue to cook until completely wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Divide among bowls, top with the grated Parmesan and some crushed red pepper and drizzle with olive oil.