Pasta e Ceci is a cross between a saucy tomato pasta, soup, and stew. It’s hearty, flavorful, and all cooked in one pot with pantry ingredients, making it an easy weeknight dinner option in only 30 minutes. Plus, it’s vegetarian, so it can accommodate different diets. It’s so good!
Hearty chickpeas and tender small pasta cook in a tomato rich broth, delivering a fantastic meal in under 30 minutes. Bonus, it’s all done in one pot.
What is Pasta e Ceci?
Pasta e Ceci simply means “pasta and chickpeas” in English. Tender pasta, protein-rich chickpeas, and vegetables are cooked in a super flavorful tomato broth, then sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan. What you get is somewhere between a saucy tomato pasta dish, soup, and stew.
The origin is that of a Roman peasant dish, with a ton of variations available today. Some versions have a thinner broth, so it’s more like a soup, some include meat, while others incorporate some type of green, like spinach or kale. One thing is constant, though – they all have pasta and chickpeas.
If you love pasta e fagioli, you will love this, too. Instead of beans (“fagioli), this recipe uses chickpeas (“ceci”). I often say they’re cousins. They’re both ultra satisfying comfort food.
Pasta e Ceci Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe and chances are you already have them stocked in your kitchen.
- Vegetables – onion, carrots, and garlic. The trio of perfection to start things off.
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, dried oregano and thyme.
- Broth – low sodium vegetable broth and tomato paste.
- Ditalini pasta – dried pasta is used and cooks in the soup. Macaroni also works fine, if you prefer.
- Chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans, they are loaded with protein!
- Olive oil and Butter – used to sauté the vegetables.
- Parmesan Cheese – for finishing. Grated Romano can also be used.
How to Make Pasta e Ceci
This dish is so easy and comes together quickly with just a few simple steps! Here’s a brief summary (scroll below for the detailed printable.)
- Warm olive oil and butter in a large pot; stir in the vegetables and sauté until softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato paste to combine and season with the oregano and thyme.
- Add in the chickpeas, pasta, and veggie broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente.
- Mix in the Parmesan.
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Pasta e Ceci Recipe Variatons
- For the meat lovers at home, you could sauté a little Italian sausage or pancetta along with the veggies.
- Toss in some fresh baby spinach at the end and cook until wilted.
- Mix in a can of petite diced tomatoes.
How to Store this Soup
To store pasta e ceci soup in the refrigerator: Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. NOTE: soup will thicken as it stands and noodles will absorb a lot of the broth. When reheating, thin the soup a bit with some broth. (If you don’t plan on eating all of the soup right away, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it to individual servings.)
Can you freeze pasta e ceci soup? This soup freezes very well without the noodles, which continue to absorb the broth. Once defrosted, the pasta tends to get mushy. I recommend omitting the noodles and cooking up a fresh batch after the soup has thawed. Transfer cooled soup to an airtight container, removing as mush air as possible, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or stovetop and adding in a fresh batch of cooked noodles.
Other Hearty Soups
Watch it Being Made
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Pasta e Ceci
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion , finely diced
- 1 large carrot , peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 15 ounce can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups dried ditalini pasta
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Stir in the onion and carrot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the tomato paste and mix to combine.
- Add in the oregano, thyme, chickpeas, pasta, and veggie broth; stir to combine.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Mix in the Parmesan cheese.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle a little more Parmesan on top.
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
Tried this a few months ago and it’s now one of our faves!! So easy and SO DELICIOUS!! Thank you!! :)
I made this recipe and loved it. Also added celery and used chicken broth. It is soo filling. Will definitely be making this again.
Can you substitute the vegetable broth with beef broth?
Of course. You can use any flavored broth, the stew will just have a different flavor. Enjoy!
Great recipe! So easy and healthy. The chickpeas add some protein for my picky eater kids! Thanks
I’m not an Italian food lover ( I know, I’m weird). This was so easy and it was delicious!! Baby spinach was awesome in this dish! I will definitely put this on my rotation! Thank you!
We love this soup and make it about once a week during the colder months! My teen daughter inhales it!
Made pasta ceci numerous times for my Italian husband, never made it this way with everything in the same pan but OMG so good!!!! Thanks!!
So good!!
Fast and easy?
Amazing!! Make it, you will not be disappointed!
Excellent! I just made it yesterday and it is already gone! Just made another double batch! Added celery and some lima beans too. Make this!!
This was delicious and very easy to make! I took your suggestions and added about 3/4 lb. oh sweet Italian chicken sausage, some fresh spinach and a zucchini, and served topped with fresh Parmesan. The pasta tasted so creamy and comforting that we will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing your recipe. It’s a keeper!
Accidentally picked up vegetable stock instead of broth. Can I use the stock instead or does it have to be broth?
Stock is totally fine!
Made the soup today…it is delicious!! Will definitley make it again!
So delicious, healthy & easy! Like a warm hug in a bowl.
The soup is so easy and delicious!!
I do love this soup. Make it a lot. but I don’t like chickpeas so I substitute navy beans. Everything else is the same and we can’t stop eating it.
I added 1 can cannoli beans and fresh baby spinach. Family unanimously declared this recipe a keeper
I made this for supper….added a can of petite diced tomatoes and a bag of baby spinach….this soup is delicious!
I made this recipe and it is sooo good. Easy and perfect dish!
Made this tonight. It has fantastic flavor. The family loved it. Will be making this again soon!
Super delicious!! I often don’t use recipes for simple dishes like this but decided to give this a try. It was incredibly good for such an easy and cheap meal. Omitted the parmesan because it doesn’t need cheese and added a little splash of vinegar for acid. So so good!
Just made this soup for lunch for the week, so easy to make. Definitely will be making this again, it’s delicious!
This was an amazing dish! This will be a staple in our household!
Awesome Recipe
Love this recipe so much. I’m making it again tonight. My sister tried and loved it too. It is now a new family favorite!
My Mom used to make this for us and I’ve made it a million times but have never seen a recipe for it. It’s so delicious.
I Have been making this for years it’s one of my fall and winter staples. The only difference in my recipe is mine has diced tomato in it which I really love. But I love love love this stuff.
This was so quick and easy to make…and DELICIOUS! I added too much oregano, but once the parmesan was added you couldn’t even tell!
This was amazing!
The flavor of the broth was fantastic and tasted like it had been cooking a long time! Next time I might decrease the amount of pasta and add a can of white or kidney beans and some other veggies. I will definitely make this again!!
Question – (I love the combination of ingredients, btw) if you cook the noodles separately, how much broth would be omitted? Anxiously awaiting to try this!
Hi there, Tahursh! I actually wouldn’t reduce the amount of broth. Even if you cook the pasta separately, you’re still adding it in at the end and you’ll want enough liquid so it remains like a soup/stew.
I made this as written (minus the cheese) and it was fantastic. Hearty, filling, and delicious!
What can I substitute for chick peas or can they be left out?
I’ve made this twice now and it is phenomenal! So quick and easy to make, so fragrant and delicious! I doubled it this time to share with my mom.
Love this! Made it vegan by using vegan butter and swapping the parm for 2tbsp of nutritional yeast at the end. So delicious.
Loved it!
This is deceptively delicious. So few and such simple ingredients but it was really, really tasty! I doubled it, did one can chick peas and one can kidney beans, used basil for thyme and added some celery and spinach. So a few changes but nothing drastic. Keep the broth as it is – onions, garlic, that perfect bit of tomato and cheese to really brighten it up – and that’s what really makes the magic. I used to make a minestrone soup I loved but my husband found it too tomatoey. This is just pefect. Will make again!
Great
We loved this recipe. I made it the other night and it gave us three dinners for the two of us. I did add 2 Italian sausages to the soup (after I air fried them) and the next time I make the soup, I will be adding 4 links. Hubster is usually the soup maker but I think I stole some of his thunder with this recipe.
Can I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
Yes, absolutely. It won’t be as flavorful, but still delicious.
This was GREAT!
My hubby and I LOVED this soup! Thank you!
Amazing! Made this numerous times, thank you!
I’m not a regular cook, but this was easy to follow and results were great.
Just wanted to let you know I am making this (again) tonight. The weather has been in the -0’s for the past few days and I think this will totally hit the spot we all need hit……
Oh yay! So happy to hear it. I love this dish! Total comfort food…
My entire family loved this, even my picky little ones who don’t like beans, but I think the chickpeas absorb enough of the wonderful broth they couldn’t tell they were eating something healthy! LOL.
This was absolutely delicious!!! Leftovers froze quite well. I did separate the soup from the noodles, as suggested. Thanks! Dee
I love how yummy this pasta dish looks, perfect for a upcoming dinner! Thanks for sharing!
I wanna make a necklace with those noodles! And then eat it. Wait, what?? Dang, I love me some chickpeas.
LOL… just…omg. Love.
I love dishes like this, and I think my son would be all about it, too! Yum!
Loved everything about this. We LOVE chickpeas, and pasta (of course). Definitely making again.
Love love this recipe. Brings back memories of my Italian Nonna!
Mmm, this was delicious! I love hearty soupy/stewy/pasta-y dishes like this. And SO easy. Thank you!!
Thank you, Amy! It truly is a family favorite. Not a lot of talking while this is being consumed ;-)
yum!!!
This is my kinda recipe! I love chickpeas :)
Yummmmm!! This was perfect for a nice cool night-like tonight!! Thanks!! – I love your recipes and so glad you share them!