Pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpea soup)

A wonderful classic Roman soup is easy to make and yet so comforting. The traditional Italian version calls for ‘pancetta’ (cured pork) in the soffritto. Italian Jews replace that salty kick with anchovy fillets, which add a lovely depth of flavour, but you can omit them if you prefer a vegetarian option.

Method:

• Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the garlic, cayenne pepper/chilli, rosemary (leaves and stalks) and anchovy fillets if using any. Stir and cook the soffritto for a couple of minutes,
• Add the tomato paste with a couple of tablespoons of water, stir well and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chickpeas, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Add the boiling water and stir again. Leave to cook over low heat, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After this time, remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and add the salt. Spoon out half the soup (about 6 tablespoons) into a small, deep heatproof bowl or jug (making sure you have a good mix of chickpeas and liquid) and blend with a stick blender to create a smooth ‘cream’. Add this back into the unblended mixture and stir to mix the different consistencies.
• Cook for a final 10–15 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If the soup tastes a little bland, add more salt. You can prepare the soup up to this stage and set it aside for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. When ready to serve, reheat it and bring it back to a boil before cooking the pasta.
• When you want to eat the soup, add the raw pasta to the boiling soup and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes longer than instructed on the packet. (Because the soup is dense, the pasta absorbs liquid more slowly than in plain salted water.) The final consistency should be quite thick, with some chickpeas and pasta still whole. If you are not planning to eat all the soup immediately, cook only as much pasta and soup as you need. Cook new pasta in the remaining soup each time you serve it.
• Serve hot with a drizzle of little extra virgin olive oil on top of each portion.

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