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!
This time of year I like to pretend that it's soup and stew season. It's kind of a ridiculous game I play with myself. I mean, the weather is still, for the most part, pretty warm. Leaves are on the trees and I've still got flowers blooming in the garden.
But guys, I'm beyond excited for the cooler weather that's to come, and frankly, I'm sick of having salad for lunch. Easy, healthy soups and stews are where it's at!
And this pasta e ceci is perfect for lunch (or dinner!) during those early fall (or late summer, which it technically still is) days. It's healthy, comforting, and full of flavor!
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What is Pasta e Ceci?
"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!
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").
A One-Pot Meal
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 a one-pot meal of my pasta e ceci. Well guess what? It turned out great! I loved my pasta cooked right in the broth for this dish. I'm a changed woman.
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, after all, 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. If you absolutely have to use dried, cut the amount back to a teaspoon.
- Ditalini pasta. You can substitute another small variety of dried pasta, such as orzo or small shells if you'd like, but 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!
How It's Made
The following 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.
- 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.
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 if you'd like.
More Pasta Soups
- Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup
- Escarole Soup
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- Mushroom Lemon Orzo Soup
- Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
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Pasta e Ceci
Bursting with juicy tomatoes, hearty chickpeas and tender pasta in a light broth, this easy pasta e ceci is the the cozy weeknight meal you've been looking for. The best part: it all cooks up in one pot in about 45 minutes!
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 pepper, to tastes
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.
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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.
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Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, and rosemary.
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Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the pasta and bring the liquid back up to a boil.
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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.
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Remove the pot from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle into bowls and serve.
this is such a delicious recipe. Thank you very much
I'm glad you like it! Thanks Maggie!
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!
Forgot the rating. Ooops!
:)
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!
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.
Delicious! I add grated Italian cheese when serving. Thanks for the recipe....:)
Very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
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.
Lovely recipe!! Could this dish be stored in the freezer please?
Yup! Seal it up and it should be good for about 3 months.