Pasta e
Ceci
Roman-style pasta & chickpea soup
Small pasta cooks with chickpeas, rosemary and a little tomato, with anchovies adding savory depth to this Roman-style bowl.
A thick, pale serving of pasta & chickpeasPasta and chickpeas,
a savory Roman bowl.
Pasta e ceci brings small pasta and chickpeas together in a thick, spoonable broth. The pasta releases starch into the liquid as it cooks, while some mashed chickpeas give the bowl more body. Rosemary and garlic supply fragrance without a complicated vegetable base.
The dish has many Italian versions. This Roman preparation uses a little tomato and anchovies, a combination documented in Lazio cooking. The home recipe starts with cooked canned chickpeas and keeps enough liquid for a soup-like finish. The photograph shows a paler, drier serving; both brothiness and pasta shape vary between kitchens.
Explore by food: Fish & seafood · Pasta · Soups
Let’s make pasta e ceci.
Four first-course bowls, using cooked canned chickpeas. Anchovies and a little tomato distinguish this selected Roman-style preparation.
Four first-course bowls, starting with 600 g drained cooked chickpeas.
What you’ll need
- 600 gcanned cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 200 gditalini
- 3anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and chopped
- 1garlic clove, lightly crushed
- 1 smallrosemary sprig
- 50 gcanned crushed tomatoes
- 45 mlextra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1.2 lwater, plus up to 300 ml more as needed
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
The timer starts with cooked chickpeas; cooking dried chickpeas is a separate preparation. Pasta continues absorbing broth after the pan leaves the heat, so loosen it before serving if needed.
How to make it
- 01
Flavor the base
Heat 30 ml oil in a heavy saucepan. Add garlic and rosemary for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in anchovies until they break down, about 1 minute, then add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
- 02
Add chickpeas
Add chickpeas and 1.2 l water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove rosemary stem and garlic. Mash a ladleful of chickpeas against the side of the pot and stir them back into the broth.
- 03
Cook the pasta in the broth
Bring to a steady simmer, add ditalini and stir often, scraping the bottom. Cook according to the packet, usually 9–12 minutes, until tender with a slight bite. Add some of the extra water if needed to keep the pasta submerged and prevent sticking.
- 04
Serve while spoonable
Season with salt and pepper after tasting the anchovy-seasoned broth. Divide into bowls and finish with the remaining 15 ml oil. Serve immediately, leaving a little broth around the pasta.
While you’re in Lazio…
SecondiAbbacchio alla Romana
Lamb braises with garlic, rosemary and white wine, then takes on a savory, lightly sharp sauce from anchovies and vinegar.
SecondiAcqua Pazza
White fish gently poaches with tomatoes, garlic and white wine, leaving a light broth to spoon up with bread.
PrimiAcquacotta
Slow-cooked onions, celery and tomatoes make a savory broth, served over toasted bread with an egg and grated pecorino.