Lent-friendly recipes: Pasta e Ceci
Editor’s note: Every week during Lent, Jersey Catholic will feature a recipe perfect for Meatless Fridays submitted by Archdiocesan staff. This week’s recipe is submitted by Anne Masters, Director of Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities.
Pasta e ceci-Italian Chickpea Soup is a classic Roman dish that comes together in one pot.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14 ounce) whole tomatoes, hand crushed
- 7- 8 cups stock vegetable or chicken low sodium
- 1 tbl finely chopped fresh rosemary or dried rosemary if you can’t get fresh
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup dried ditalini pasta or another type of small pasta
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add in the diced onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté for about 8-10 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for a couple of one – two minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to break them up (if using canned plum tomatoes, break them up before adding, and remove the tough white core).
- Add in the chickpeas and stir together.
- Next, add in the salt, pepper, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil for a few minutes and then lower the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in the soup, at a low boil until al dente, stirring frequently to keep from sticking, until the pasta is al dente (it will keep cooking when you remove from the heat) and the broth has thickened, 8-10 minutes, depending on which pasta you choose. Add more broth or water if it’s thickened too much and you would like it thinner.
- Check the flavor and if needed, season with some more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
