Pasta e Ceci
Sometimes, the best dishes are the most simple. For the new year, I’ve decided to go back to basics, focusing on good quality ingredients designed to showcase the best of what’s available and most seasonally appropriate.
This pasta and chickpeas soup dish, adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe, fits the bill perfectly. Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are a humble ingredient but they’re so delicious and healthy. If you have the extra time, use dried chickpeas and cook them in advance instead of using canned chickpeas. You’ll notice the difference in taste.
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Olive oil
A sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 14-oz. cans of chickpeas (or 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked)
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup elbow pasta other small Italian “soup” pasta
Salt and pepper
2 sprigs parsley, chopped
1. Put the onion, celery, and garlic into a pot with a little extra virgin olive oil and the rosemary and cook as gently as possible, with the lid on, for about 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, without any color.
2. Drain the chickpeas well and rinse them in cold water, then add them to the pot and cover with the stock. Cook gently for half an hour and then, using a slotted spoon, remove half the chickpeas and put them to one side in a bowl.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Pour cooled soup into a food processor in batches, blending until smooth. Pour mixture back into the pot. Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta to the pot, return to heat, season the soup with salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.
4. At this point, if the soup is a little thick, pour in some hot water to thin it down. Serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with parsley.