Pasta with Chickpeas (Ceci Beans)

plate of pasta with chickpeas with spoonful and garnished with parsley

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Enjoy this one-pot pasta e ceci as made in Naples!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 516kcal

Author: Mamma C

Equipment

6-quart pot

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons olive oil (plus extra to drizzle on servings if neeed)
5 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
15 ounces can of chickpeas (ceci) also sold as "garbanzo" beans
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
5 cups cold water
1 pound shellbows pasta (or ditalini)
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (plus extra for serving)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (from half of a lemon)
red pepper flakes (to taste)

Instructions

Peel and chop the garlic. (Don't use a press, because the garlic will be too fine and could burn.)
Chop the parsley. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Drain them again.
Heat the olive oil in a large pasta pot (6-quart) on medium-high. Add the garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
When the garlic is fragrant, add the drained beans, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Loosely cover the pot by propping the lid over it with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn't stick. You want the ceci beans to be tender enough that you can cut one open with a fork.
When the beans are just tender, add five cups of cold water, cover the pot tightly and increase the heat to high.
When the water is boiling, stir in the pasta. Lower the heat slightly. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and scraping along the bottom, until the pasta is al dente. (See the cooking time listed on the box and taste to see if it's done.) Do not drain
When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and gradually stir in the Parmesan and Pecorino. Stir in the lemon juice, if using.
Serve immediately with extra Pecorino on top. If desired, you can drizzle more olive oil on each serving. The pasta will absorb the broth quickly.
Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Before reheating them, add a bit of olive oil to each serving if the pasta is dry.

Notes

If you serve with Pecorino on top, you shouldn't need extra salt. However, if you serve with Parmesan instead, the dish will need a little extra salt.

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