Pasta e Ceci with Greens

  2.5 – 2 reviews  • Beans and Legumes
Pasta e ceci is a comforting, classic Italian dish thick with pasta and chickpeas. This version, almost like a chunky soup, is loaded with bright, tender spinach and escarole. It’s flavored with rosemary and a touch of heat from crushed red pepper flakes.
Level: Easy
Total: 35 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 1 onion, chopped
  3. 2 stalks celery, chopped
  4. Kosher salt
  5. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  7. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  8. 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
  9. 1 cup ditalini
  10. 6 cups roughly chopped escarole (from about 1/2 head)
  11. 4 cups baby spinach
  12. Grated pecorino romano cheese, for topping
  13. Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
  2. Stir the chickpeas into the pot and cook 1 minute. Add 4 cups water, the reserved chickpea liquid and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta; reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the escarole and spinach to the pasta, cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls; top with pecorino and a few grinds of pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 460
Total Fat 19 grams
Saturated Fat 3 grams
Cholesterol 5 milligrams
Sodium 866 milligrams
Carbohydrates 57 grams
Dietary Fiber 13 grams
Sugar 8 grams
Protein 17 grams

Reviews

Dan Casey
Quite good. Used collard greens instead of escarole which I could not find and chickpea pasta to up the protein.
Sydney Medina
Unfortunately this was SO bland. First concern was seeing 4 c water to make the broth so I went 50/50 water and chix broth. Not a salter but found I was adding mult x while cooking, still bland. Added bunch of extra fresh grated parm, still bland. Nothing was saving this dish. 0 for 3 with the fam. Bummer cuz it was alot of washing, chopping n dicing. Love FN but skip this one.

 

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