
By Food52
Victoria Granof’s Pasta con Ceci
It’s astonishing how much comfort you can derive—fast—out of basic ingredients you’ve used a thousand times. Here are the keys: First, you need to use all of the olive oil—it gives the soup substance and body, carries the other flavors, and makes up for the fact that you’re making an otherwise austere soup without a rich stock. As Granof says, “It’s what’ll make you think you’re on a balcony in Naples when you eat this.” Second, cook the garlic in the oil until it’s actually browned a bit, not simply softened. This makes the flavor toasty and nutty, and not bitter, despite what nonna might say. You can leave this as soupy or stewy as you like. Granof makes it for her son once a week. "I used to give him Parmesan rinds to teethe on, and when he no longer needed to teethe, I started throwing them in this pasta." Adapted slightly from Chickpeas by Victoria Granof (Short Stack Editions, 2015).
Updated at: Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:41:55 GMT
Nutrition balance score
Good
Glycemic Index
47
Low
Glycemic Load
25
High
Nutrition per serving
Calories543.8 kcal (27%)
Total Fat32.3 g (46%)
Carbs53.1 g (20%)
Sugars8.4 g (9%)
Protein13.1 g (26%)
Sodium1230.8 mg (62%)
Fiber9.4 g (33%)
% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ingredients
2 servings

4 tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
plus more for drizzling

3 clovesgarlic
peeled and smashed

3 tablespoontomato paste
good

1 teaspoonkosher salt
or more to taste

1 ½ cupchickpeas
cooked, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

½ cupditalini pasta
uncooked, or another small shape, like macaroni

2 cupwater
boiling

Crushed red pepper flakes
for serving
Instructions
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