Pasta e ceci, a humble dish but one full of history, holds a special place in Roman cuisine and in my heart. My obsession with this recipe began after watching one of the best Italian films of all time: I Soliti Ignoti (Big Deal on Madonna Street) by Mario Monicelli.
I won’t give you the link to the moment this typical Roman stew made with pasta and chickpeas appears, because it would be a huge spoiler and, if you haven’t seen it, I don’t know what you are waiting for. I assure you that even the choice of such an apparently secondary detail as the meal these small-time thieves end up sharing is an 11 out of 10, in relation to the setting and the soul of the story, set in Rome in the late 50s.
One Dish, A Thousand Variants
With Roman-style Pasta e Ceci, which around here is not pronounced “pastaetxetxi” but “pastesheshi,” it is a bit like paella. Everyone prepares it their own way, even those who use exactly the same ingredients. Likewise, everyone fiercely defends the way it is prepared in their home as the most authentic.
Aldo Fabrizi and the Authentic Recipe
When I was a millimeter away from resigning myself and accepting that I would never find the recipe that enjoyed the same kind of character as the one in the movie, I found the mecca: Aldo Fabrizi’s pasta e ceci recipe. I find it extremely difficult to explain what this man represented for so many Romans, apart from the brief description of a great actor, poet, comedian, director, and anything else they threw at him.
The same goes for his sister, the no less famous Elena, also an actress and great cook, whom everyone affectionately called Sora Lella and who actually had a small role in I Soliti Ignoti. To be clear, they were those symbolic characters of an era, of a personality and popular mentality, authentically “romanesco,” of which the lineage has already been lost.
Who better than one of those who distilled the very essence that was breathed in the Rome of I Soliti Ignoti to help us discover the true pasta e ceci?
Watch the video with all the steps
Below you can watch the video with all the steps to prepare the recipe in the easiest way.
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Main Ingredients for Pasta e Ceci
Ingredients for 2 people
- Preparation time: 13 hours (with dried chickpeas) or 10 min (with cooked chickpeas).
- Cooking time: approx. 2 hours (dried chickpeas) or 30 min (cooked chickpeas).
- 100 g of dried chickpeas or 250 g of cooked chickpeas
- 100 g of ditalini rigati or small short pasta
- 1 leek
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 celery stalk
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 and a half anchovy fillets
- 1 tomato or 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small dried chili pepper (optional)
- Vegetable broth or water (if you don’t cook the chickpeas yourself)
- Salt
Remember: At the end of the article you will find the complete recipe card with detailed cooking and preparation times.
Step-by-Step Preparation of Pasta e Ceci
Preparation of the Chickpeas and the Sofrito
If you use dried chickpeas, leave them to soak for at least 12 hours. Then, cook them with the leek, carrot, celery, a bay leaf, and a clove of garlic in a pot with plenty of water. Add salt only in the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent the chickpea skins from hardening. If you prefer a faster preparation, you can use pre-cooked chickpeas and vegetable broth.
Aromatic Sofrito
In a pan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil and brown a clove of garlic along with a sprig of rosemary. Remove the garlic and add the tomato, the chopped anchovies, and, if you like it spicy, a small dried chili pepper. Cook over low heat until the tomato is well sautéed and the aromas blend.
Incorporating the Chickpeas and Pasta
Add the cooked chickpeas to the sofrito and stir so they are infused with all the flavor. Then, add the chickpea cooking liquid (or vegetable broth) until they are covered, bringing everything to a boil. To achieve a creamy texture, separate half of the chickpeas and mash them into a puree, which you will then incorporate back into the pot. Finally, add the pasta and let it cook al dente, adjusting the level of broth according to your preferred consistency for the dish.
Final Touch and Plating
Once the pasta is ready, serve the pasta e ceci with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top and, if you like, garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary. This dish is perfect to enjoy on colder days, evoking the warmth and hospitality of Rome.
Tips and Variants for Pasta e Ceci
- Customize the consistency: If you prefer a soupier dish, add more broth during cooking. If you want it thicker, reduce the amount of liquid.
- Pasta options: Although ditalini rigati are the most traditional, you can use any small-sized short pasta.
- Extra touch: If you want a more intense flavor, you can add a little grated Parmesan when serving.
Other Typical Roman Dishes You Will Love
- Stracciatella alla romana: A simple and comforting soup made with egg and cheese.
- Roman-style artichokes: An Italian classic that highlights the flavor of fresh artichokes.
Enjoy this Pasta e Ceci!
A dish full of history and flavor that will transport you directly to Rome.
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Bon appétit!
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The card
Pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) Roman style
A traditional dish from Rome full of history and flavor.
Ingredients
- 250 g Cooked chickpeas.
- 1 Leek
- 1 Carrot
- 1/2 rama Celery
- 1 hoja Bay leaf
- 100 g Ditalini rigati Or small short pasta
- 2 diente Garlic
- 1 ramita Rosemary
- 1 ½ Anchovy fillet
- 1 Tomato Or 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Small dried chili pepper Optional
- Vegetable broth
- Salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel the vegetables and cut them in half.
- Place the leek, carrot, a clove of garlic, and a bay leaf in a pot with plenty of water, enough to cook the chickpeas.
- Once the water is hot, but not boiling, add the chickpeas.
- Cook the chickpeas over medium heat and add salt 10 minutes before they are done so as not to toughen the skins.
- Pour in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and brown a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary in it.
- Remove the garlic clove and add the tomato, the anchovies, which we will have previously finely chopped, and optionally a little cayenne pepper.
- Once the tomato is sautéed, add the chickpeas.
- Stir the chickpeas for 1 minute so they are well coated with the flavor of the sauté.
- Add the chickpea cooking liquid or vegetable broth, in case you didn’t cook the chickpeas yourself, until they are covered.
- As soon as the chickpeas start to boil, separate half into a container to turn them into a puree using a blender.
- Add the puree to the pot along with the whole chickpeas.
- Add the pasta and let everything cook until the pasta is al dente, adding more or less broth depending on how thick you want the recipe to be and adjusting the salt to taste.
- Serve the pasta e ceci with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.
Video
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