Pasta e Ceci

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 cans Chickpeas, canned no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
• 8 oz Whole wheat pasta (dry), small shape — ditalini or shells
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp juice Lemon

Method

1. Warm the oil, garlic, rosemary and pepper flakes together over medium — start them in cold oil so the garlic perfumes the fat instead of burning. 3 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, fry 60 seconds. Add one can of chickpeas and mash them roughly with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the second can, the broth and salt. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add the dry pasta directly to the pot and cook, stirring often, until al dente — 9-11 minutes. The pasta starch is what makes the broth silky, so do not boil it separately.
5. Off heat, stir in parmesan and lemon juice, and let it sit 3 minutes to thicken. Finish with parsley and a hard pour of raw olive oil over each bowl.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Finishing oil poured raw over the bowl — a full teaspoon each. It smells like a trattoria and it is the healthiest fat in the kitchen.

🧒 For the kids

Use a fun small pasta shape and go light on the pepper flakes. Most kids treat this as 'bean soup with noodles' and eat two bowls.

🌿 From the garden

Rosemary in a pot by the door, dragged inside in November.

🥡 Leftovers

The pasta drinks the broth overnight. Add half a cup of water when reheating.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.