Italian🍜 Noodles & pasta

Pasta e ceci con la 'nduja

Name: Pasta e ceci con la 'nduja
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g mezze maniche pasta; 400 g cooked chickpeas; 150 g 'nduja; 1 onion; 1 celery; 1 carrot; 30 g tomato paste; 1 garlic; to taste dried oregano; to taste vegetable broth; to taste extra virgin olive oil; to taste salt; to taste black pepper

Pasta e ceci con la 'nduja is a delicious variation on the classic Italian dish of pasta and chickpeas. The addition of 'nduja—a spicy Italian chili-pork spreadable sauce—gives this chickpea pasta a bold, fiery kick. Chickpeas are hearty legumes with a rustic, genuine flavor often used in pasta dishes or blended into creamy bases for soups and minestrone. Their natural sweetness pairs beautifully with savory and spicy ingredients like 'nduja. Tomato paste further enhances the vibrant red color and visual appeal. This recipe uses pre-cooked canned chickpeas for convenience, though for even deeper flavor you can start with dried chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked traditionally.

Adapted from a video by Casa Pappagallo

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

mezze maniche pasta200 g
cooked chickpeas400 g
'nduja150 g
onion1
celery1 stalk1
carrot1
tomato paste

Steps

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1
Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. You can adjust the fineness to your preference—coarser pieces take longer to cook but still develop good flavor. Avoid using a food processor as it can turn the vegetables into mush.
2
Heat olive oil in the pot and sauté the chopped vegetables until they soften and turn a nice golden color, allowing them to release their flavor.
3
Add the pre-cooked chickpeas to the pan and let them absorb the flavors of the sautéed vegetables.
4
Slice the garlic clove and add it to the pan. You can slice, chop, or leave it whole depending on your preference.
5
Stir in the tomato paste and add a spoonful of vegetable broth to combine well.
6
Add the mezze maniche pasta to the pot.
7
Begin adding boiling vegetable broth gradually, as you would when making risotto, continuing to cook the pasta. Keep the broth simmering and add it gradually, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors and cooking liquid progressively.
8
When the pasta is nearly cooked, adjust the consistency to your preference. If you prefer a drier style (as Neapolitans would say), stop adding liquid. If you like it more soupy, continue adding broth.
9
Break the 'nduja into pieces and add it to the dish. Let it melt slowly into the sauce and combine well with the pasta and chickpeas.
10
Lower the heat slightly and let the dish simmer gently without rushing the final cooking stage.
11
Since the 'nduja and broth are already salty, don't add salt yet. Taste the sauce when the dish is almost done and add salt only if needed.
12
Add the dried oregano near the end of cooking. While optional, it adds an extra flavor dimension to the dish.
13
Plate the dish and garnish with black pepper and additional oregano. Optionally drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired.

Pasta e ceci con la 'nduja

Ingredients

Steps

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