Pasta With Chickpeas, Spinach And Tomatoes (Pasta E Ceci)
Pasta with Chickpeas (also known as Pasta E Ceci), combines hearty chickpeas, fresh spinach and tomatoes, and comforting pasta to make a delicious, vegetarian pasta dish that is as delicious as it is classic. This easy pasta is a traditional Italian favorite and brings together wholesome ingredients to create a creamy, flavorful sauce that clings perfectly to each bite of pasta. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners, or laid back dinner parties with friends.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 347kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt divided (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper divided (plus more to taste)
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cans chickpeas drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb small pasta such as rigatoni
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 large handfuls of spinach (or other green, such as escarole)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place the cherry tomatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to ensure the olive oil coats the tomatoes.
- Roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes in the oven, then remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed. Add the diced garlic, rosemary, and salt and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the red pepper flakes and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute, or until the tomato paste is fragrant.
- Add the wine and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring everything to a simmer and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 cup of the chickpeas and 1 cup of veggie broth. Mix to combine and transfer everything to a blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot, and add in the remaining chickpeas, stock, and black pepper. (If you have an immersion blender, you can blend everything in the same pot.)
- Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat and stir in the pasta. Cook the pasta for the time directed on the packaging (or shave off a minute if you’d like to make the pasta al dente.)
- Once the pasta has cooked, adjust the texture of the sauce by adding more water or stock if desired.
- Remove from heat and quickly stir in the shredded cheese, stirring everything quickly to incorporate.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and the chopped greens to the pasta. Stir to combine.
- Divide into individual bowls and serve.
Notes
- If using dried chickpeas, you can use the water that you cooked the chickpeas in instead of the vegetable broth if you prefer.
- To make sure your pasta is al dente, cook it about one minute shy of the package instructions.
- Sub in different types of beans for chickpeas if you prefer, or don't have chickpeas on hand.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- When reheating, you'll likely need to add a bit of veggie broth or water to the dish to add some liquid back to the sauce. (It tends to be absorbed into the pasta noodles when refrigerated).
- This recipe was adapted slightly from Serious Eats.
Nutrition
Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 1mg
