Pasta e Cece (Pasta Soup with Chickpeas) is a traditional Sammarinese (from San Marino) recipe for a classic soup of chickepeas and vermicelli pasta in an tomato and chicken stock base flavoured with rosemary and garlic. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sammairnese version of: Pasta Soup with Chickpeas II (Pasta e Cece).
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Ingredients:
900g cooked chickpeas (tinned is fine)
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
440g tinned, chopped tomatoes (with juice)
1l chicken stock or water
180g dried pasta (thin vermicelli-style pasta is traditional but tube-style pasta is also used), halved
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
4 tbsp grated cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, etc)
Method:
Rinse the cooked chickpeas and remove any loose skins then drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan then add the rosemary sprigs and fry until aromatic (about 4 minutes). Remove the rosemary at this point and discard. Now add the garlic and cook over low heat for about 4 minutes, or until just fragrant but not browned.
Add the tomatoes (and their juice), bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock (or water) along with the chickpeas and bring the mixture to a simmer. Adjust the seasonings to taste then cook for 5 minutes.
If you prefer a thicker soup then remove about 150g of the chickpeas with a slotted spoon, purée to a paste then stir back into the soup. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is just al dente. Adjust the liquid level to your desired consistency and allow to heat through.
Ladle into warmed soup bowls and accompany with the grated cheese.