The grandma’s creamy pasta and chickpeas is a simple, genuine, and light family recipe that smells of home and memories. It’s the dish that made me fall in love with legumes when I was a child, prepared by Grandma Ida, a neighbor who was really like a grandmother to me, and who I still hold dear in my heart today.
I remember very well the first time she let me try it: I hardly ate anything, but that pasta and chickpeas immediately won me over. She, with great patience, blended all the chickpeas to make it creamy and delicate, and from that moment that flavor has remained one of my fondest memories linked to home cooking.
Years later, I asked her daughter for the recipe and tried to recreate it. Today, I prepare it with part of the chickpeas blended and part whole, just to achieve that velvety rich consistency that makes it special. The result is a truly spectacular creamy pasta and chickpeas, with the same authentic flavor as before.
This recipe is suitable for everyone because it contains no meat: it is completely vegetarian and also vegan. Moreover, it is light and digestible, without sautéing and with simple and natural ingredients. Chickpeas are rich in vegetable proteins, fibers, and minerals, perfect for creating a nutritious and complete single dish.
Warm on cold days is pure comfort, but pasta and chickpeas are also delicious warm or at room temperature. A home recipe, economical and healthy, that warms the heart and makes everyone agree at the table.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs chickpeas (dry)
- 10.5 cups water
- coarse salt
- 1 potato
- 1 carrot (medium/small)
- stalks celery (small)
- 1/2 onion
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- rosemary
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 leaf bay leaf (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- pepper (or chili pepper)
- 1.1 lbs pasta (soup pasta)
Tools
- 1 Pot
Procedure
To prepare grandma’s creamy pasta and chickpeas, soak the dry chickpeas for at least 12 hours with a pinch of baking soda. I leave them overnight and cook them the following morning. Before using, rinse them well under running water.
Transfer the chickpeas to a large pot and cover them with plenty of water. Add coarse salt, potato, celery, carrot, garlic, onion, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a boil and then slightly lower the heat: let it cook for about 45 minutes, until the chickpeas are soft and ready for the creamy pasta and chickpeas.
When the chickpeas are cooked, take out a portion with the potato and the herbs (removing bay leaf and rosemary) and blend everything until you get a smooth cream. Pour back into the pot with the tomato paste and let it flavor for about 10 minutes: this step will make the pasta and chickpeas creamy and enveloping.
Take a portion of broth with chickpeas and cook the pasta directly in it. This way, it will absorb all the flavor. When serving, you can adjust the consistency: add more broth for a softer pasta and chickpeas or leave it thicker and creamier.
✨ FINAL NOTES
Grandma’s creamy pasta and chickpeas is one of those simple dishes that smell of home and memories. A humble recipe but rich in flavor, perfect when you want something nutritious, healthy, and genuine without spending hours in the kitchen.
It is a complete and balanced first course, rich in vegetable proteins and fibers, ideal for the whole family and perfect for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Prepared without sautéing, with few ingredients and lots of love, this pasta and chickpeas is light yet incredibly tasty.
You can prepare it in advance and reheat it when needed: the next day it is even better because the flavors meld and the consistency becomes even creamier. Plus, you can easily adjust the thickness by adding hot broth, so everyone can have it just how they like it.
A family recipe that smells of tradition, perfect for warming up on cold days but delicious even warm in milder seasons.
If you try this grandma’s creamy pasta and chickpeas, let me know in the comments if it reminded you of a home dish too: it’s always the simplest flavors that stay in the heart. ❤️
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use canned chickpeas for the pasta and chickpeas?
Yes, you can use pre-cooked chickpeas to speed up the preparation. Rinse them well and let them flavor in the broth with potato and herbs for at least 20 minutes before blending a portion.
How can I make the pasta and chickpeas creamier?
For creamier pasta and chickpeas, blend a portion of the chickpeas with the potato and cooking herbs, then put the cream back in the pot. This step makes the dish naturally dense without adding cream or sautéing.
