Pasta and Chickpeas alla Romana

La storia di questo piatto

In Lazio, pasta e ceci is the soup of the Roman table, humble and unhurried, where chickpeas, tomato and fragrant rosemary share a single bowl. It is honest, dense comfort, the kind of dish that tastes of home before it tastes of anything else.

Ingredienti

• 250 g Dried chickpeas
• 1500 ml Soaking water for the chickpeas (discard)
• 2 g Baking soda for soaking (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1200 ml Water for cooking the chickpeas and the soup
• 2 cloves Garlic (1 clove for the chickpeas, 1 for the soffritto)
• 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary (1 sprig for the chickpeas, 1 for the soffritto)
• 1 piece White onion
• 1 piece Carrot
• 1 stalk Celery
• 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil for the soffritto
• 1 piece Small chili pepper, optional
• 200 g Peeled tomatoes
• 200 g Ditalini or small tubular pasta
• 300 ml Hot water to adjust the soup, if needed
• 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil, raw, for finishing
• q.b. to taste Salt
• q.b. to taste Freshly ground black pepper

Preparazione

1. The evening before, place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with 1.5 liters of cold water and 2 g of baking soda (about half a teaspoon): let them soak for 12 hours, until they have doubled in volume. The soaking time is not included in the recipe timing. In the morning, drain them, discarding the soaking water, and rinse them under running water.
2. Put the chickpeas in a pot with 1.2 liters of fresh water, 1 garlic clove and 1 sprig of rosemary. Cook over low heat, with the lid partially covering, for 60-90 minutes, until soft. Add salt only at the end of cooking, since salt added too early keeps them tough. When ready, remove and discard the garlic and rosemary, but do not drain the chickpeas: the cooking water will be used for the soup.
3. While the chickpeas cook, finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. In a second wide pot, heat the 50 ml of oil for the soffritto with the remaining garlic clove, crushed with the palm of your hand, the remaining rosemary and, if you like, the chili pepper. Add the chopped vegetables and let them wilt over low heat, stirring often, until golden and glossy, never burnt. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon, and let them season for 10 minutes over low heat, until the sauce thickens. Then remove the garlic, rosemary and chili pepper.
4. Using a ladle, take out about a quarter of the chickpeas with a little of their water and mash them with a fork or a food mill to give creaminess. Pour all the chickpeas with their cooking water, along with the mashed ones, into the soffritto pot, and stir gently.
5. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta directly into the soup without draining it first: it will cook while absorbing the flavor of the broth. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, especially on the bottom, and cook for the time indicated on the package. If the soup dries out too much, add a little hot water, gradually, up to 300 ml in total (only if needed).
6. Taste, check that the pasta is al dente and adjust salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, cover and let rest for 2-3 minutes. Serve piping hot in deep bowls, with the 30 ml of raw extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the portions and a grind of pepper.