Pasta e Ceci – Pasta with Ceci Beans
Pasta e Ceci Recipe
Pasta e ceci is a typical dish of the Campania , Puglia ( Salento ), Sicilian and Roman cuisine , of very ancient origin.
It is a poor first course , but very nutritious, because chickpeas – like all legumes – contain a significant amount of protein that complements the nutritive intake of pasta, typically rich in carbohydrates .
The Roman version provides for the addition of anchovies.
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The chickpea or chick pea (Cicer arietinum) is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, and Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes and 7500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Chickpea is a key ingredient in hummus, chana masala, and can be ground into flour and made into falafel. It is also used in salads, soups and stews. The chickpea is important in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and in 2016, India produced 64% of the world’s total chickpeas.
Chickpeas are a nutrient-dense food, providing rich content (20% or higher of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, dietary fibre, folate, and certain dietary minerals, such as iron and phosphorus per 100 grams. Thiamin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc contents are moderate, providing 10–16% of the DV. Compared to reference levels established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, proteins in cooked and germinated chickpeas are rich in essential amino acids such as lysine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and total aromatic amino acids.[25]
A 100 g serving of cooked chickpeas provides 164 kilocalories (690 kJ). Cooked chickpeas are 60% water, 27% carbohydrates, 9% protein and 3% fat (table). 75% of lipid content is unsaturated fatty acids for which linoleic acid comprises 43% of total fat.
Ingredients
For 4 Person(s)
For the Ceci:
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1 pound dry chickpeas
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28 ounces passata or crushed tomatoes
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1 small onion
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4 bay leaves
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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salt & pepper, as desired
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1 pound Ditalini pasta
Directions
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The evening before, wash the chickpeas and put them in a pot with water, 4 bay leaves and 1/2 tablespoon of salt. The water should be 2 inches above the chickpeas.
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The next day, leave the chickpeas in the same water. You may have to add a little more water to keep it 1 inch above the chickpeas. Cover the pot and cook at low flame for about 3 hours.
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Separately prepare an onion based tomato sauce and once the chickpeas are cooked, mix together.
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Boil the Ditalini pasta in salted water.
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Pour the chickpeas and broth over the pasta. Add a dash of EV olive oil and pepper as desired.
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