I’ve found my new favorite weeknight dinner. This one is not only delicious and incredibly comforting, but it’s also SO EASY. We’re talking about a one-pot meal! And I’m not always on board with one-pot meals. I often find this shortcut results in things like gummy pasta and undercooked beans. But occasionally, I find a recipe where it just works. Back when I made my vegan minestrone I went off a bit about not cooking pasta in soup broth, because soggy pasta is one of my least favorite things. This time around I decided to throw caution to the wind (and be a little lazy) and make my pasta e ceci in one vessel. Well guess what? It turned out great! This dish has just the right broth to pasta to veggie ratio so that everything cooks up perfectly with one pot and very little fuss! If you’re a fan of pasta e fagioli, you’ll enjoy this. It’s similar, but instead of beans (the “fagioli), this one is made with chickpeas (“ceci”).
Ingredients You’ll Need
Olive oil. You could technically substitute another high-heat oil, but olive oil will give your pasta e ceci the best flavor.Onion.Carrot.Celery.Garlic. Vegetable broth. I usually make this recipe with Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor, but feel free to use your favorite brand.Canned diced tomatoes. Tomatoes packed in either juice or broth will work just fine with this recipe.Chickpeas. We’re using canned chickpeas, because this is meant to be a quick and easy meal. If you’d like to use dried chickpeas, go right ahead. You’ll need to soak and cook them first. Try this method.Fresh rosemary. I highly recommend using fresh rosemary rather than dried. It will give your pasta e ceci the best flavor. If you absolutely have to use dried, cut the amount back to a teaspoon.Ditalini pasta. You can substitute another type of pasta, but make sure you use something with a small shape, such as orzo or small shells. If you do this you might need to adjust the simmer time in step 5. You can even use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe totally gluten-free!Salt & black pepper.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe! Did I say this was easy? It really is!
Heat up some olive oil in a pot and add some onion, carrots and celery. Sweat the veggies for a few minutes to begin softening them up. Next, add some garlic and cook everything for about a minute more. Keep stirring the whole time to prevent anything from burning.
Add some broth, diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and chickpeas. Stir everything well to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot!Let it all simmer for about 15 minutes.
The pasta goes in last. Use a small variety, such as ditalini. Stir it in and let it simmer until it’s tender.
I like to serve my pasta e ceci with some red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and homemade vegan Parmesan cheese. Some folks like to top theirs with a drizzle of olive oil, so that’s another option!
Leftovers & Storage
Store any leftover pasta e ceci in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will suck up a lot of liquid as it sits. You can add some extra broth while reheating it if you’d like.
More Pasta Soups
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