Creamy chickpeas with pasta or pasta e ceci, a thick, hearty and comforting dish. This easy, budget-friendly and, best of all, one-pot meal will become a regular on your menu!
Is there anything more comforting than a creamy bowl of pasta and chickpeas or pasta e ceci? A classic southern Italian dish and the type of simple, hearty meal you want to reach for on a cold winter night!
Unlike my chickpea pasta recipe with tomato sauce which is a pastasciutta dish, this is a soupier version, although a thick one.
Variations of pasta with chickpeas
Most families have their own version of chickpeas with pasta and this recipe may be endlessly varied. Here are a few suggestions:
- Prepare it with added veggies (carrots and celery) as I did or without them for a quick version.
- Add more or less tomato passata, or none at all, according to taste.
- Add less broth (or water) for a thick and chunky version or extra broth if you prefer a more soup like dish.
- Use any short length pasta of your choice and in a pinch try breaking up spaghetti into shorter lengths as my mom often does!
Ingredient list
- Canned chickpeas: drained and rinsed
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic clove
- Red pepper flakes: optional
- Tomato passsata: puréed tomatoes
- Rosemary sprig: or 1 tsp dry rosemary
- Short length pasta: such as Pantacce (as shown); ditalini; tubettini or small shells
- Vegetable broth: may be replaced by water or chicken broth
- Olive oil
- Salt, to taste
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté diced onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt until softened, about 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato passata and stir to combine all ingredients.
- Stir in the chickpeas, simmering vegetable broth (or water) and sprig of rosemary and bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Remove the rosemary sprig and use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash about half of the chickpeas for a creamy, thick texture. Alternately, ladle half the chickpeas into a blender, purée them and return to the sauce pan.
- Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat until al dente. Add salt, to taste, if needed.
- Add extra simmering broth or water according to how “soupy” you like your pasta e ceci.
- Remove from heat and drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano cheese at the table, if desired.
Recipe Notes
-For a quick version of pasta e ceci, omit the carrots and celery.
-Increase or decrease the amount of tomato passsata according to your taste.
-For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of liquid added and for a soupier dish add more liquid.
-Try tossing in a handful of spinach leaves in the last few minutes of cooking.
-This recipe works well with white cannellini beans in place of chickpeas.
-Use chicken broth or water instead of vegetable broth.
-If using water, toss in a Parmigiano rind while simmering for extra flavor.
-Use and short length pasta of your choice such as ditalini; tubettini; or small shells.
-Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
-This soup thickens even more once it cools. Stir in a bit of water or extra broth when reheating.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more Italian recipes with beans
- Pasta with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
- White Bean and Potato Soup
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Stew
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Pasta
- Tagliarini with Beans
- Italian Minestrone Soup
- Grilled Tuna and White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 branch celery diced
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- pinch red pepper flakes optinal
- ½ cup tomato passata tomato purée
- 2 19 oz cans of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 sprig rosemary or 1 tsp dried
- 225 grams small shaped pasta such as ditalini, tubettini, small shells or
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a small sauce pan.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté diced onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt until softened, about 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato passata and stir to combine all ingredients.
- Stir in the chickpeas, 5 cups of the simmering vegetable broth (or water) and sprig of rosemary and bring to a boil. Reserve the remaining liquid and add if needed. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Remove the rosemary sprig and use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash about half of the chickpeas for a creamy, thick texture. Alternately, ladle half the chickpeas into a blender, purée them and return to the sauce pan.
- Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat until al dente. Add salt, to taste, if needed.
- Add extra simmering broth or water as needed to fully cook the pasta. For a "soupier" dish add extra broth or water, as desired.
- Remove from heat and drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano cheese at the table, if desired.
Notes
-Increase or decrease the amount of tomato passsata according to your taste.
-For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of liquid added and for a soupier dish add more liquid.
-Try tossing in a handful of spinach leaves in the last few minutes of cooking.
-This recipe works well with white cannellini beans in place of chickpeas.
-Use chicken broth or water instead of vegetable broth.
-If using water, toss in a Parmigiano rind while simmering for extra flavor.
-Use and short length pasta of your choice such as ditalini; tubettini; or small shells. Tips -Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
-This soup thickens even more once it cools. Stir in a bit of water or extra broth when reheating.
Delightful … especially on a chilly winter day. I make this occasionally, along with other warming pasta and ‘something’ dishes, many exactly as your recipes call for. Only difference in this one for me is that I don’t use onion, only garlic. Otherwise pretty much the same. Thank you Nadia – another winner.
Hi Anna, I so agree with you. There’s nothing more comforting, not to mention easy, on a chilly day. Thank you Anna!