Italian pasta with chickpeas or pasta e ceci is a hearty, protein packed vegetarian pasta recipe that can be on the table in about 30 minutes. Satisfying and simple, this budget friendly dish fills you up without any meat at all and is the definition of comfort food.
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Hold on for half a second while I do the food blogger thing everyone hates and wax poetic about a recipe I grew up with grandma making. It will only take 3 sentences.
Pasta with chickpeas.
My Italian grandmother used to make something similar with white bean pasta.
The sauce was creamy and comforting. Just like this chickpea sauce.
As comfort food goes, it’s pretty healthy too.
The chickpeas are a nice vegetarian source of protein so good and filling.
Plus they are easy on your wallet and you can make this meal totally from budget friendly pantry staples.
What is pasta e ceci or pasta with chickpeas?
This pasta with chickpeas or pasta e ceci originated in Southern Italy, where my grandma is from.
It was typically a peasant’s food and sometimes you’ll see it served brothier like a soup.
In some variations, a portion of the pasta gets cooked, removed from the sauce and fried before it gets returned to the sauce.
And in Roman variations, you’ll often see anchovies.
My version features tomato sauce, blended with chickpeas, wine, and parmesan cheese, along with pasta.
The whole kitten caboodle gets topped with crunchy roasted chickpeas for extra flavor- at least in my version.
What is the origin of pasta e ceci?
Italian pasta with chickpeas come from “cucina povera” or poor cooking.
Italian peasants who didn’t have the money to cook with fancy ingredients created this dish and other simple hearty meals like this or Easy Tuscan White Bean Soup to warm them up in the colder weather.
And to this day, it is still one of my favorite budget meals- winter or summer!
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
To make this you’ll need mainly pantry staples like:
- Pasta– Use whatever pasta you have but I highly recommend spaghetti, linguine, or penne for this.
- Tomato puree– You could also use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (the unseasoned kind in the can).
- Garlic– Fresh garlic cloves
- Wine– White wine that you would drink. If you don’t want to use wine, use an equal amount of chicken stock or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.
- Chickpeas– Drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, diviaded.
- Parmesan cheese– Either grated or shredded
- Seasonings– Salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes (optional), and fresh basil
For kitchen supplies, you’ll need basic things like:
How to Make
1. Puree the sauce.
Add 1 drained, rinsed can of chickpeas, the tomato puree, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend the sauce until it reaches a thick, creamy consistency.
2. Add wine.
Add about half a cup of white wine to the blender. Blend again. Once the sauce is slightly blended well, pour the sauce into a large skillet over medium low heat.
3. Simmer the sauce.
Let the sauce come to a very slow simmer, stirring occasionally. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta.
4. Assemble and enjoy!
Once the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta. Top it with the sauce, some crunchy garlic roasted chickpeas, cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Storing
If you think you will have leftovers of this pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce, then do not mix the sauce with the pasta in a big batch.
Instead spoon it onto individual servings so you can store the sauce seperately.
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don’t want to use wine in my sauce. What can I use instead?
Don’t want to cook with wine? That’s fine! Use stock or for the most budget friendly option, thin the sauce with some of the starchy pasta water!
Tips and Tricks
- You don’t have to top this with roasted chickpeas, but the crunch of the roasted chickpeas pairs so nicely with the creaminess of the sauce.
- Almost any pasta shape will work with this dish except for more delicate shapes. The sauce is pretty robust so avoid things like angel hair or thin spaghetti.
- Don’t add the fresh basil until the very end. It gets bitter if cooked for too long.
- Serve it with a big loaf of The Best Easy Garlic Bread Recipe (Cheesy Garlic Bread) and a salad!
Other Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
- Roasted Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts Pasta
- Quick and Easy Bruschetta Pasta
- Summer Harvest Pasta
- Tomato Pasta with Burrata
- Caramelized Onion and Roasted Asparagus Pasta
- Winter Vegetable Pasta
- Buttered Balsamic Blistered Tomato Pasta
- Instant Pot Caprese Pasta
- Pasta with White Beans
Did you make this? Let me know!
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Ingredients
- 1 package of spaghetti*
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 cans of chickpeas approximately 4 c, drained and rinsed
- 29 ounces of tomato puree
- 1/2 c of white wine stock, or pasta water
- 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- crushed red pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 can of chickpeas, the tomato puree, garlic, and spices to a blender or food processor. Blend or process to a creamy consistency. Add wine until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Pour mixture into a large pan and turn heat to medium low.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and let simmer, stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Serve the sauce over pasta with roasted chickpeas
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow. That sounds interesting. I don’t usually think of doing chickpeas with pasta, so I will have to try it out.
It’s one of my favorite pasta dishes these days! I love it. The chickpeas blended in the sauce make it really creamy and it’s filling without being really heavy.
[…] already told you how my daughter gobbles up chickpeas like they are going out of style and loves hummus, but would you believe me if I told you she liked […]
Love that it’s not loaded with cheese and so much more healthier. Love chickpeas so pinned it for later.
Don’t get me wrong- cheese is delicious! But this way you can eat that pasta guilt free and it is so yummy! Thanks for stopping by!
Interesting combination, this recipe pasta I have not seen. Pinned anyway 🙂
This recipe is actually a pretty traditional Italian recipe. I believe it’s called pasta e ceci and originates from rustic Tuscan cuisine. My Italian grandma (who wasn’t from that area but further south) made a take on it with white beans. It’s really yummy! I hope you give it a try sometime! Thanks for visiting!
this looks really good and easy to make 🙂
Super easy and very good! I hope you give it a try! Thanks for stopping by!
I love that it is healthy as well as tasty and filling. Sounds wonderful. 🙂
I’m definitely comfortably full after a plate of this dish. Hope you try it! Thanks for visiting!
This looks really tasty! I don’t usually put chickpeas in with my pasta, but I love the idea, and the fact that it’s vegetarian. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I do eat meat but not a lot of it so I eat a lot of vegetarian proteins. Give this a try. The chickpeas add the protein and add a really flavorful nuttiness to the sauce. Yum. Thanks for visiting!