RomanItalian
Pasta E Ceci With Chicory
by Cucina con Ruben · 548K subscribers on YouTube
A Roman-style pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) enriched with wild chicory, creating a bitter, creamy, and comforting dish. The chickpeas are partially blended for a creamy texture, and the chicory is blanched to reduce bitterness before being sautéed with garlic and chili.
- Cook
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
9 items- 200 gWild ChicoryWild chicory, or substitute with cultivated chicory
- 200 gPrecooked ChickpeasPre-cooked chickpeas, drained
- 160 gDitaliniSmall tube pasta
- Pecorino Romano(optional) — Grated, to taste; optional for vegan version
- 1 pcsChili PepperFresh or dried chili pepper, to taste
- 2 pcsGarlicCloves, thinly sliced
- Olive OilExtra virgin olive oil, abundant
- SaltTo taste
- Chili Oil(optional) — Chili oil, for drizzling
Method
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the wild chicory for 2 minutes.
- Drain the chicory and refresh under cold water to stop cooking; squeeze out excess water.
- In a large pan, heat abundant olive oil and sauté thinly sliced garlic and chili pepper until fragrant.
- Add the pre-cooked chickpeas to the pan and sauté for a few minutes, seasoning with salt.
- Cover the chickpeas with water and cook for 5 minutes over high heat.
- Meanwhile, chop the blanched chicory into small pieces.
- Remove half of the chickpea mixture and blend it with some of the cooking liquid until creamy.
- Return the blended mixture to the pan, add the chopped chicory, and stir to combine.
- Add the ditalini pasta and enough hot water to cover; cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 10-11 minutes.
- Adjust salt and let the pasta rest for a moment.
- Serve with grated pecorino cheese on top and a drizzle of chili oil.
Cucina con Ruben
Home cookReviewer548K subscribers on YouTube242.9M total channel viewsRuben Bondi - cucina italiana, kosher e giudaico-romana. Diventato noto durante il lockdown cucinando dal balcone a Trastevere.
