How good is Chickpea Soup with Pasta? It’s a warm hug that envelops the palate, a harmony of textures and aromas that blend into a symphony of pleasure.

Rustic, tasty, hearty, one of the most dreamed comfort foods on rainy and cold days.
Chickpeas are special legumes, their flavor is unmistakable.

Sure: you could make pasta and chickpeas starting with the precooked ones, no one forbids it, they’re a trump card for those always in a hurry, but starting with dried ones soaked will make your dish special.

It really takes just a few ingredients to make a delicious dish, and this first course with chickpeas is indeed an incredible example.

My recipe can never be as perfect as the one prepared by my mother, with chickpeas that Grandma Milo cooked in the pot on the economic wood stove.

In that recipe were the skilled hands of my grandmother, my mother’s experience, the stories around the fire while the pot puffed, the warmth of a united large family.

But, I assure you, even my chickpea and pasta recipe is delicious! And, every time I make it, I make my family happy.

There are numerous recipes and regional variations for making pasta and chickpeas, I propose to you my family’s version, made with a sauté of garlic, oil, and chili pepper, with small rigged pieces and a part of blended chickpeas to form a creamy delight. Of course, the type of pasta can be changed.

Tips. Dried chickpeas should be soaked for 12 to 24 hours (depending on the type and hardness of the seed) and then should be cooked for about 3 hours.

Here are some cooking tips: Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the soaking water, you will limit the loss of B vitamins at the end of cooking; At the end of soaking, do not reuse the soaking water, it should be discarded as it contains phytates, substances that inhibit the absorption of some micronutrients.

But it’s a real shame to give up preparing these legumes, rich in proteins and many beneficial properties!
Chickpeas are considered the poor man’s protein because the amount contained is rather high. It is certainly a protein food, with a high percentage of vegetable fats that make them excellent for cardiovascular prevention.

An ally against anemia and to improve circulation and the immune system.

In my blog, you will find many ideas on how to cook chickpeas.

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4People
Cooking methods: Stove
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring

381.38 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 381.38 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 50.45 (g) of which sugars 3.45 (g)
Proteins 16.97 (g)
Fat 11.56 (g) of which saturated 1.65 (g)of which unsaturated 3.65 (g)
Fibers 10.10 (g)
Sodium 849.94 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients for Chickpea Soup with Pasta

9 oz pasta (ditalini or mixed or as you prefer)
9 oz dried chickpeas (if using pre-cooked, 2 cans)
Half stalk celery
Half carrot
1 tsp tomato paste
Half onion
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
1 pinch baking soda
as needed salt
chili pepper (to taste)
as needed extra virgin olive oil

Tools

Pot
Mixer

Steps for Chickpea Soup with Pasta

After rinsing them under cold running water to remove all impurities, place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with room-temperature water.
The recommendation is to soak the chickpeas for at least 12/14 hours, taking care to change the water at least twice during this time.
The ratio is 1:4, so 2 liters of water for 500 grams of chickpeas.
To facilitate the softening process of the chickpeas, you can add a pinch of baking soda to the water, which helps break down the fibers present in the legumes.
Once soaking is complete, rinse the chickpeas and drain them, they are ready to be cooked.
Once done, drain them and transfer them to a pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil.
Cook the chickpeas on low heat for an hour, then add four cloves of garlic and two sprigs of rosemary.
Continue cooking for another hour or until the chickpeas are tender.
Once the chickpeas are cooked, you can proceed with the recipe: in a new casserole, place a peeled clove of garlic, a drizzle of oil, and a sprig of rosemary, and let it heat up.
Prepare a mince with onion, celery, and carrot, then remove the garlic and rosemary from the pot and add the prepared mince.
Let it sauté for a few minutes, then add about half of the previously cooked chickpeas.
Add a few ladles of hot water and continue cooking.
Blend the remaining chickpeas with a few ladles of their cooking water, then add the mixture to the casserole.
Also add the tomato paste, adjust the salt, and continue cooking over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
Then add the pasta and stir quickly, if necessary, add some hot chickpea cooking water.
When half of the cooking time indicated on the package has passed, turn off the heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
After this time, serve with a drizzle of raw oil.
Enjoy your meal.