Simple Chickpea and Pasta Soup (Italian Pasta e Ceci)

Simple Chickpea and Pasta Soup is the perfect easy pasta dinner recipe! The best part? Italian Pasta e Ceci is a healthy and cheap meal to make, and it follows the Mediterranean Diet!

A full serving is just 300 calories!  We love it for a healthy lunch or dinner idea!

What is Pasta e Ceci?

Pasta e Ceci, translated as pasta and chickpeas, is a traditional Italian peasant soup that goes back centuries.

We love this healthy pasta soup recipe because it doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients and lasts us all week! Even a bigger family could have leftovers!

What kind of pasta should you use?

We used macaroni because we couldn’t find ditalini. With that said, you can use any small pasta.

You could even use a gluten-free pasta if you wanted!

What You’ll Need

• 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small sweet onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1-2 red chili peppers, chopped
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 28oz can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes (We like Cento)
• 14 oz chickpeas
• Parmesan rind (optional)
• 2 cups small pasta (We used macaroni)

How to Make Chickpea and Pasta Soup

1. Heat your olive oil on medium heat.
2. Add in chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Add in your celery and carrots, sauté 5-6 minutes.
4. Add in your red chili peppers and rosemary.
5. Add in your tomatoes and chickpeas
6. Let this simmer 5 minutes after breaking up your tomatoes.
7. Add a pinch of salt, broth, and water. Stir.
8. If possible add a parmesan rind and simmer 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the rind.
9. Add 2 cups of small macaroni and cook 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
10. Top with parmesan cheese and olive oil.

How do I store Pasta e Ceci?

Once the soup is cooled, you can place it an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. We also have been guilty of just sticking the cooled and covered soup pot in the fridge.

This hearty soup will remind you of your nonna. We love to pair it with a glass of Avaline’s red wine and a few pieces of sourdough bread.

If you’re a wine drinker, check out why we drink Avaline. (Spoiler: it’s cleaner and doesn’t give us a headache!)

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Yield: 7

Simple Chickpea and Pasta Soup (Italian Pasta e Ceci)

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Simple Chickpea and Pasta Soup is the perfect easy pasta dinner recipe! The best part? Italian Pasta e Ceci follows the Mediterranean Diet and a full serving is just 300 calories!

Prep Time 12 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 57 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small sweet onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1-2 red chili peppers, chopped
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 28oz can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• 14 oz chickpeas
• Parmesan rind (optional)
• 2 cups small pasta

Instructions

1. Heat your olive oil on medium heat.

1. Add in chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add in your celery and carrots, sauté 5-6 minutes.
3. Add in your red chili peppers and rosemary.
4. Add in your tomatoes and chickpeas
5. Let this simmer 5 minutes after breaking up your tomatoes.
6. Add a pinch of salt, broth, and water. Stir.
7. If possible add a parmesan rind and simmer 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the rind.
8. Add 2 cups of small macaroni and cook 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
9. Top with parmesan cheese and olive oil.

Notes

We prefer Cento San Marzano Whole Tomatoes.

We also used macaroni pasta, but any small pasta works well. You could also choose a gluten-free pasta.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

7

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 578mgCarbohydrates: 39gNet Carbohydrates: 31gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 10g

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