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Pasta e Ceci

This quick dish made from [mostly] pantry staples can stand up to endless variations. Here’s mine.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 1/2 C cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 C uncooked ditalini pasta (or another small shape, like macaroni)
  • 2 C boiling water
  • 1 Parmesan rind
  • A few good handfuls of spinach
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • Ricotta, to garnish
  • Crushed red pepper flakes, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Put your water on to boil.
  2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until it becomes lightly browned and fragrant. Cook until nutty-smelling and beginning to brown.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and salt and fry for 30 seconds or so.
  4. Add the chickpeas, pasta, Parmesan rind, and boiling water. Stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, lower the heat, and simmer until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed or the pasta is al dente, about 12-15 minutes.
  5. While the pasta is cooking, cut up the red bell pepper. Sauté this in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a healthy pinch of salt, and a good pinch of sugar. You want it cooked through but not floppy.
  6. Just as the pasta is done, stir the raw spinach into the pot until it wilts. Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning.
  7. To serve, ladle the pasta into shallow bowls.  Serve the red peppers on the side, along with the crushed red pepper flakes.  If you want to get extra indulgent, drizzle a bit of extra-virgin olive oil on top.

Find it online: http://breadandjamforfrancis.com/pasta-e-ceci/