Bursting with juicy tomatoes, hearty chickpeas and tender pasta in a light broth, this easy pasta e ceci is the cozy weeknight meal you've been looking for. The best part: it all cooks up in one pot in about 45 minutes!
I've found my new favorite weeknight dinner. This one is not only delicious and incredibly comforting, but it's also SO EASY. We're talking about a one-pot meal! And I'm not always on board with one-pot meals. I often find this shortcut results in things like gummy pasta and undercooked beans.
But occasionally, I find a recipe where it just works.
Back when I made my vegan minestrone I went off a bit about not cooking pasta in soup broth, because soggy pasta is one of my least favorite things.
This time around I decided to throw caution to the wind (and be a little lazy) and make my pasta e ceci in one vessel. Well guess what? It turned out great! This dish has just the right broth to pasta to veggie ratio so that everything cooks up perfectly with one pot and very little fuss!
"Pasta e ceci" translates to pasta pasta and chickpeas, and that's just what it is! The pasta and chickpeas are served in a light seasoned tomato broth, but not too much of it — so this dish isn't quite a soup, but also not quite a stew, but you wouldn't really call it a regular old pasta dish with sauce — it's somewhere in between all three!
If you're a fan of pasta e fagioli, you'll enjoy this. It's similar, but instead of beans (the "fagioli), this one is made with chickpeas ("ceci").
Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. You could technically substitute another high-heat oil, but olive oil will give your pasta e ceci the best flavor.
- Onion.
- Carrot.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth. I usually make this recipe with Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Canned diced tomatoes. Tomatoes packed in either juice or broth will work just fine with this recipe.
- Chickpeas. We're using canned chickpeas, because this is meant to be a quick and easy meal. If you'd like to use dried chickpeas, go right ahead. You'll need to soak and cook them first. Try this method.
- Fresh rosemary. I highly recommend using fresh rosemary rather than dried. It will give your pasta e ceci the best flavor. If you absolutely have to use dried, cut the amount back to a teaspoon.
- Ditalini pasta. You can substitute another type of pasta, but make sure you use something with a small shape, such as orzo or small shells. If you do this you might need to adjust the simmer time in step 5. You can even use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe totally gluten-free!
- Salt & black pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Did I say this was easy? It really is!
- Heat up some olive oil in a pot and add some onion, carrots and celery. Sweat the veggies for a few minutes to begin softening them up. Next, add some garlic and cook everything for about a minute more. Keep stirring the whole time to prevent anything from burning.
- Add some broth, diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and chickpeas. Stir everything well to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot!
- Let it all simmer for about 15 minutes.
- The pasta goes in last. Use a small variety, such as ditalini. Stir it in and let it simmer until it's tender.
I like to serve my pasta e ceci with some red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and homemade vegan Parmesan cheese. Some folks like to top theirs with a drizzle of olive oil, so that's another option!
Leftovers & Storage
Store any leftover pasta e ceci in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will suck up a lot of liquid as it sits. You can add some extra broth while reheating it if you'd like.
More Pasta Soups
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Pasta e Ceci
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 medium celery stalk, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup dried ditalini pasta (or another type of small pasta)
- Salt and black pepper, to tastes
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sweat the veggies for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften up.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, and rosemary.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and bring the liquid back up to a boil.
- Allow the pasta to cook in the soup at a low boil until al dente — this may take a minute or two longer than the time indicated on the pasta's package directions. Stir the pot occasionally while it simmers.
- Remove the pot from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
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I made this tonight just for little old me. It was easy and delicious. Sometimes you just want comfort food.
Thank you
I usually don't comment on a recipe until I've tried it, but your photograph inspired me to write. I have looked at probably over 100 pasta e ceci recipes looking for that perfect bowl and yours is the first I've seen that inspires me to want to try it. Georgeous photo work. I don't know why it seems everyone else wants to have it all dried out and brownish looking or have so much tomato that you're looking at it saying are those ditalina even there...
Anyway I've had the bad, I've had the worst, and I have a feeling that as soon as I get around to making this tomorrow I'm going to have the best! so thank you in advance. I'll be back on the "after" side.
Lovely recipe!! Could this dish be stored in the freezer please?
Yup! Seal it up and it should be good for about 3 months.
Easy, hearty & delicious - thank you for this recipe, which really came in handy tonight. I was looking for something delicious, vegetarian and hearty that didn't use anything I didn't have on hand. This fit the bill (with a couple of substitutions). I was able to stay on track with my calorie goals for the day and not feel hungry before bedtime.
Delicious! I add grated Italian cheese when serving. Thanks for the recipe....:)
Very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
As someone who isn't passionate about cooking but wants to eat better; I tend to end up with lackluster food cause I seek simple recipes. But your recipe is delicious and easy! Even my wife loved it. More please! Thanks.
I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much! Delicious recipe my girlfriend's new favorite dish I make :) She's vegetarian as well so it's perfect I add zucchini to the dish too.
This sounds wonderful. I too hate soggy pasta but with a little attention, this should be great - and easy. Do you have a recipe for pasta, ceci with oregano, garlic and olive oil? There should be some greens or something else in it, but don't recall what. I'm hoping you do.
Thank you! I don't have a recipe just like that, but you could certainly add some greens and oregano to this dish - in fact, I think it would be delicious!
I add some fresh spinach !!!
Sounds delicious!
Forgot the rating. Ooops!
:)
I also like to pretend it's soup season now - it's that slight crispness to the wind, I think, that deceives you even though you're still sweating like mad in the garden..Plus, the chives are just begging to be put in "cheddar" and chive biscuits which definitely go best with soup.
This is an absolutely delicious soup! I can't with the overly soft pasta in pasta soups after they've sat overnight. I make up a kind of mild or watery version of the broth and cook the pasta separately in that. Keeps the flavour - adding bland pasta to a tasty soup also does no favours - without the bloated pasta.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Yes! And it gets just a little bit cooler around dinnertime, which helps, even if it's ninety degrees all day (like it is today!). :) I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Kirsten!
this is such a delicious recipe. Thank you very much
I'm glad you like it! Thanks Maggie!