Pasta e Ceci (Italian Chickpea and Pasta Stew)
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Ingredients
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1 cup dry chickpeas
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1 tablespoon baking soda
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1 yellow onion
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1 stalk celery
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1 small zucchini
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1 carrot
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 sprig fresh sage leaves
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1 sprig fresh rosemary
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1 sprig fresh thyme
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3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
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2 peeled whole canned tomatoes
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8 1/2 ounces ditalini pasta, such as Barilla® Gluten Free Ditalini
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salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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1 fresh cayenne pepper, seeded and minced, or more to taste
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1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
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Rinse chickpeas under cool water. Pick up handfuls of chickpeas and rub them together with your hands under the water to wash chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a large stew pot, cover with water and add baking soda; swirl chickpeas and water to distribute baking soda. Leave to soak for 8 hours or overnight.
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The next day, pour chickpeas through a strainer and rinse well under cold running water, eliminating any skins or discolored chickpeas; set aside.
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Grate onion, celery, zucchini, and carrot on the large teeth of a cheese grater, This step is very important as grated vegetables give a different flavor than diced.
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Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the stew pot over medium heat, and sauté grated vegetables for 1 minute. Mix in sage, rosemary, and thyme and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add 3 cups broth, all the chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. Stir in pasta. Add more broth only as needed to achieve a thick, stew-like consistency.
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Cook until pasta is tender with a bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and divide amongst serving bowls. Top each bowl with minced cayenne pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.