Best Ceci Chickpeas Sauce With Penne Recipes

PASTA E CECI (ITALIAN PASTA AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and the chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula and smashing about 1/2 cup of the beans.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high. Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. The water will mostly be absorbed by the pasta, but if you prefer it brothier, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup water and simmer until warmed through, 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the escarole and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

PASTA E CECI (PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and rosemary, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic softens and turns golden, about 5 minutes. Add pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook until tomato paste is fragrant and turns dark brick red, about 1 minute.
• Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, and cook until wine has emulsified with olive oil and mixture is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
• If using cooked dry chickpeas: Stir in 1 cup (170g) chickpeas and 1 cup (240ml) chickpea cooking liquid. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash chickpeas against the sides and bottom of the pot until completely broken down. Stir in the rest of the chickpeas and remaining 3 cups (710ml) cooking liquid (supplementing with stock or water as needed to reach 3 cups), and black pepper. Season with salt to taste. Proceed to Step 4. If using canned chickpeas: Remove Dutch oven from heat; remove and discard rosemary sprig. Add 1 cup (170g) chickpeas and 1 cup (240ml) stock, and using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you do not have a handheld immersion blender, transfer mixture to blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour mixture back into Dutch oven.) Stir in remaining 2 cups (340ml) of chickpeas, 3 cups (710ml) stock, and black pepper. Season with salt to taste.
• Bring chickpea mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is just shy of al dente (1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs, as the pasta will continue to cook off-heat), and liquid is reduced to a consistency that falls between soupy and saucy. Adjust consistency as needed with additional water, stock, or chickpea cooking liquid, keeping in mind that liquid will tighten up as it cools due to starch from the chickpeas.
• Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir rapidly to incorporate. Season with salt to taste. Divide between individual serving bowls (for the dried chickpea version, look out for the garlic cloves and rosemary sprig; remove and discard them), and drizzle each serving with olive oil. Serve, passing extra grated cheese at the table.

CECI (CHICKPEAS) SAUCE WITH PENNE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet or medium Dutch oven, add the onions, garlic, Fresno chile, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add about 2/3 of the chickpeas to a food processor, then quick-pulse into fine bits. Add the finely chopped chickpeas and remaining whole chickpeas to the pan and heat through. Stir in the stock and tomatoes. Break up the whole tomatoes and simmer the sauce to thicken a little. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• Reheat over moderate heat and stir occasionally.
• Bring water to boil for pasta, salt the water and cook to al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water just before draining. Drain the pasta and place back in the hot pot and toss with the sauce and as much starchy water as you need to combine. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls topped with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle of Pecorino cheese and parsley.

CECI (CHICKPEA) SAUCE WITH WHOLE WHEAT PASTA - VEGAN

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions, garlic, Fresno chile, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add about 2/3 of the chickpeas to a food processor, then quick-pulse into fine bits.
• Add the finely chopped chickpeas and remaining whole chickpeas to the pan and heat through.
• Stir in the stock and tomatoes. Break up the whole tomatoes and simmer the sauce to thicken a little.
• Bring water to boil for pasta, salt the water and cook to al dente.
• Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water just before draining, just in case.
• Drain the pasta and place back in the hot pot and toss with the sauce and as much starchy water as you need to combine. When I made this, I did NOT need to add any extra pasta water to make the sauce because it was fine as is.
• Sprinkle pasta with fresh parsley, and top with some vegan parmesan (recipe #413778). ENJOY!