Pasta e Ceci is Italian comfort food at its finest! Chickpeas, pasta, vegetables, and parmesan transform into a thick, soul-warming soup in just 30 minutes. It’s naturally vegetarian, endlessly customizable, and pure magic in a bowl.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
One-pot recipe – Everything, from the veggies to the pasta to the chickpeas, is cooked directly in a pot of broth for fewer dishes and more flavor.
Pantry MVP – All you need are budget-friendly pantry staples to make this Roman soup.
Flexible – Pasta with chickpeas is naturally vegetarian, but it’s also easy to make gluten-free and vegan. You can even add more veggies or meat if you’d like!
I love chickpeas so much that I’ve baked them into fudgy chocolate brownies and even turned them into a creamy plant-based “chicken” salad. But when it comes to comfort food, there’s no better place for them than a pot of Pasta e Ceci, or pasta with chickpeas.
Pasta e Ceci isn’t just a chickpea and pasta soup; it’s a thick, stew-like hug in a bowl that smells exactly like a Roman trattoria. To make it, canned chickpeas are combined with a handful of humble yet flavorful Italian ingredients and mashed until the soup is thick and creamy.
This classic Italian soup has been around for ages, but its magic lies in its simplicity. It’s proof that you don’t need a long grocery list to create a velvety, incredibly rich meal.
Pasta e Ceci Ingredients
Vegetables – The soffrito—a sautéed mix of diced onion, carrots, and celery—really gets the flavor party started.
Herbs and seasonings – This is Italian comfort food after all, so we need salt, red pepper flakes, and a sprig of rosemary to bring those cozy vibes. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary instead.
Chickpeas – Canned chickpeas are the most convenient option.
Broth – I like this soup with vegetable broth when I want to keep it vegetarian, but chicken broth is just as good. When I want more protein, I’ll make it with my collagen-rich homemade bone broth instead.
Parmesan – I tossed both the shredded parmesan cheese and the leftover parmesan rind into the soup.
Pasta – Short tubular noodles, like ditalini pasta, work best in pasta e ceci. Tubetti, orecchiette, conchigliette, or elbow macaroni are also great options.
This list provides further clarification on a few ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Gluten-free option – Use your favorite gluten-free short-cut pasta instead. I recommend boiling gluten-free pasta separately, then adding it to the serving bowls and ladling the soup over top.
- Vegan version – Use vegetable broth and replace the cheese with nutritional yeast or white miso paste. Finish with vegan parm or a drizzle of high-quality EVOO.
- Add more veggies – Feel free to sauté a diced zucchini, chopped green beans, or sliced mushrooms with the soffritto at the beginning.
- Add meat – Brown a crumbled Italian sausage or pancetta in the pot before you add your vegetables. Or, stir in some shredded chicken at the very end.
- Flavor boosters – Stir in a little Calabrian chili paste for a kick, or finish the soup with fresh lemon juice for brightness.
How to Make Pasta e Ceci
Step 1: Sauté the soffritto. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in a large pot until softened.
Step 2: Bloom the aromatics. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomato paste turns rusty brown.
Step 3: Deglaze. Add the rosemary sprig, chickpeas, and 1 cup of the broth, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.
Step 4: Mash the chickpeas. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash some of the chickpeas directly in the pot.
Step 5: Cook the pasta. Add the remaining broth and parmesan rind to the pot, then heat the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Step 6: Finish and serve. Take the pot off the heat, discard the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind, and then stir in the shredded parmesan. Adjust the flavors as needed, then ladle the soup into bowls. Serve and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- Don’t rush the soffritto, or else the soup will lose its foundation of savory flavors. You’ll know it’s done when the onions are translucent and the carrots have started to sweeten.
- Take the time to deglaze the pot with broth and loosen any stuck bits on the bottom (called the “fond”) with a wooden spoon. There’s some amazing flavor in those brown bits!
- To avoid mushy pasta, simmer the noodles just until they’re al dente (tender with a slight bite). If you want to save the leftover soup, consider undercooking the pasta by about 2 minutes so it doesn’t overcook when you reheat it later.
My Pro Tip
Mash the Chickpeas
It wouldn’t be pasta e ceci if you didn’t mash the chickpeas in the pot! They release extra starches to make the soup thick, creamy, and stew-like. I like to totally smush most of the chickpeas while leaving some whole, but you can mash them as much as you like, depending on how creamy and thick you want the soup.
Italian Soup FAQs
Absolutely. Soak 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas in water overnight, then drain and add them to a pot with fresh water the next day. Simmer until they’re tender.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup because the pasta turns to mush after thawing. You can, however, freeze the chickpea-broth base without the pasta for about 3 months.
Storage
Make Ahead: If you’re a meal-prepper, make the soup as normal, but cook the pasta in a separate pot on the stove and store it in its own container. The noodles won’t turn to mush in the broth this way.
Refrigerator: Keep the leftover soup in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Add as much soup as you plan to eat to a small saucepan along with a splash of water or broth (the pasta tends to soak up a lot of it as it sits). Heat over medium-low until it’s warmed through.
More Italian Soup Recipes
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Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, then add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.
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Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute. Then, add the rosemary, chickpeas and 1 cup of the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.
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Use a potato masher or fork to mash some of the chickpeas (this will create a slightly creamier consistency), then add the remaining broth and parmesan rind and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, pour in the pasta and cook until the pasta is done, about 10 minutes.
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Remove the soup from the heat, then remove the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind. Stir in the shredded parmesan and add more salt/pepper/red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1930IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg
