Pasta e Ceci in Italian translates to pasta and chickpeas. The dish really could not be any simpler; just pasta and chickpeas in a light tomato broth. It is not a soup, nor a stew or a bowl of pasta. It is a dish in between those three! But there is something so cozy and comforting about its simplicity, I fell in love with it the first time I had it!
The best part about this dish is that it uses mostly pantry ingredients. It comes together in less than 30 minutes with almost no effort on your part. The recipe card has instruction on the cooking method for the instant pot but I will provide stovetop directions also.
Main ingredients:
Short Pasta- I have used small macaroni pasta for this recipe but you can choose any shape you like or have on hand. Ditalini or small shells would be other great options. One thing to keep in mind is that the cooking time of the pasta on the package directions should be 6 minutes or less. Since we are cooking the pasta with the rest of the ingredients, we don’t want the chickpeas to be overcooked if the cooking time in more.
For the Instant pot cooking method, the pasta cooking time on the package determines the overall cooking time. If the pasta package directions has cooking time of 6 minutes, half it and cook for 3 minutes. For an odd number like 5 minutes, you can just round it up to 3 minutes.
Canned San Marzano Tomatoes- San Marzano tomatoes are thinner and longer than the regular plum tomatoes. You can buy them fresh or canned at grocery stores. San Marzano tomatoes are very famous for their balance of flavors between the right amount of sweetness and acidity. If you have not tried them, I really urge you to get a can and use it in this dish.
If you are unable to find canned San Marzano tomatoes, you can use regular canned tomatoes also, just add a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe to balance out the flavors.
Canned Chickpeas- For convenience, I have used organic canned chickpeas here. You can certainly use home made chickpeas.
Seasonings– Fresh rosemary, red pepper flakes and parsley are the main seasonings for this dish. Rosemary provides a very earthy flavor. You can substitute it with dried rosemary also, just use ½ tablespoon as dried herbs are more potent. Adjust the heat level by adding more or less red chili flakes as per your liking.
Greens– I like to use dark green Lacinto kale in this recipe. But you can use any kind of kale of other leafy greens that you prefer or have on hand. Spinach and collard greens are some other options.
Stovetop directions:
Use a large saucepan and follow the Instant Pot recipe in the card below. Once the tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta and water are added to the saucepan, bring it to a boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-6 minutes till the pasta is cooked. Add the chopped kale and parsley and stir.
How to serve Pasta e Ceci:
I like to serve Pasta e Ceci with a side of warm toasted crusty bread drizzled with olive oil. Rub a clove of garlic on the crusty bread for an intense kick of garlic flavor without much effort to make garlic bread.
Why I love Pasta e Ceci:
Delicious and Comforting.
Quick to prepare in less than 30 minutes.
It is vegetarian and can be made vegan by omitting or substituting vegan Parmesan Cheese.
Make it gluten-free by using gluten free pasta.
You can easily double the recipe for leftovers next day.
Pasta e Ceci is a perfect, well balanced easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
If you like this recipe, here are some other easy Instant Pot recipes you may want to try:
Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and chickpea soup)
Italian pasta and chickpea soup in a light tomato broth.
4
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 1/2 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup small macaroni pasta or any small shape pasta
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoon cooking oil ( I use Avocado Oil)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely minced or grated garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups Water
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup chopped kale or baby spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan (for serving)
Method
- Turn the Instant Pot on Saute mode and add oil. When it heats up, add onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes till the onions soften a bit.
- Add chopped rosemary and crushed red pepper, stir and cook for about a minute.
- Crush the San Marzano tomatoes with your clean hands. Add the tomatoes, drained chickpeas, pasta, 3 cups water and salt. Give it a good stir. Cancel out of saute mode and put the lid of the Instant Pot on. Make sure the knob is on sealing and Manual pressure cook it on High for 3 minutes.
- When the cooking process is complete and the Instant Pot beeps, Quick Release the pressure by turning the knob safely. Open the lid once all the pressure is released.
- Add the chopped kale and parsley and stir. The kale should wilt a bit. Pour ladles of the pasta soup in a bowls and serve with grated parmesan and crusty bread.
Tips
- Omit cheese or use vegan parmesan cheese to make this dish vegan.
- This dish is best served fresh immediately after the greens are wilted in the hot soup.
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