Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpea Stew)

Method

1. 1

   Warm the olive oil in a large pot, add the garlic and the whole rosemary sprig, and cook gently for 1 minute until fragrant.

2. 2

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute until it darkens slightly, then add three-quarters of the chickpeas and the stock.

3. 3

   Simmer for 10 minutes, then mash roughly with a fork or potato masher — enough to thicken the broth without pureeing it fully.

   💡 Mashing some of the chickpeas is what gives this soup body without any cream.

4. 4

   Remove the rosemary sprig, add the remaining whole chickpeas and the pasta, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Loosen with extra stock or the reserved chickpea liquid if it's thicker than a stew.

   💡 This should be spoonable, not pourable — closer to a thick soup than a sauced pasta.

6. 6

   Ladle into bowls and finish each with a drizzle of raw olive oil and a pinch of chili flake.