I can’t believe it took me so long to discover this old Roman recipe. Garlic, chickpeas, pasta and a tomato broth, all in one pot? Was this recipe written for me? This dish has become one of my favorite comfort meals. I’ve made it over and over again since first discovering it about a year and a half ago, and it never fails to make me happy. Plus there are countless ways you can make it – every household in Rome has its own variation – so there’s plenty of room to play with it and make it your own. This is the variation I’ve had on repeat lately, but don’t get too hung up on the exact measurements. This dish is all about the method. And the best part? It’s made with simple pantry ingredients, and it’s all done in one pot.
Some notes about the ingredients: I’ve made this with fresh and canned chickpeas. I prefer using fresh chickpeas when I have them on hand, but I use canned chickpeas more often. I believe that rosemary is the more traditional herb used in the dish, but I’ve always used dried oregano, once again simply because it’s an herb I love.
Begin by heating a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add the chickpeas, some red pepper flakes, the oregano, and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined with the chickpeas. Let it cook for a minute or two. Now add 5 cups of water, give it several good stirs, and bring to a boil. You may want to add a little more salt at this point to help bring the flavors together. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente (depending on the shape, probably around 12 - 15 minutes). Be sure to stir the pasta every so often so it doesn’t stick. I personally love this dish on the brothy side, so sometimes I add more water if it’s cooking down too much. Taste and see if it needs more salt or red pepper flakes. This is a dish you want to serve immediately, for the pasta will continue to absorb the water as it sits. I like to garnish mine with basil or parsley, a little drizzle of olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper, and sometimes a little pecorino cheese. Enjoy! Variations:
Add a parmesan rind in with the water while the pasta simmers. It will add a salty, almost cheesy, depth to the dish. Be sure to remove the rind before serving.
This year I froze fresh herbs from my garden in ice cube trays. Recently, when making this dish, I added an ice cube of parsley and basil toward the end of cooking, instead of fresh herbs, and it was fantastic. Pasta and Chickpeas
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