Pasta E Ceci Eating With The Sopranos Food

PASTA E CECI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery and leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are wilted, about 5 minutes. Clear a space in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic and red pepper flakes. Let toast for a minute, then stir into the vegetables. Add the chickpeas, lemon zest, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, if using, 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas until the broth appears creamy and slightly thick, leaving plenty of chickpeas whole, 6 or 7 mashes around the pot should do the trick. Add the ditalini and 1 cup water. Return to a simmer and cook until the ditalini is very al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and let sit until the broth is thickened and the pasta finishes cooking, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves, cheese rind and lemon zest before serving. Season the pasta e ceci with salt, if needed. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

PASTA E CECI (PASTA AND CHICKPEAS)

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil, and begin to saute the pancetta or bacon over medium-high heat. When sufficiently browned, remove all but 2 tsp or so of the fat.
• Add onions and celery, sweat three minutes or so until they soften, add garlic, cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add pimento (or roasted red peppers), cook for a minute or so, then stir in hot pepper flakes (or cayenne), and anchovy paste, if you're using it.
• Add tomatoes, paste, and chicken broth, stirring until tomato paste is smooth. Add sugar, bay leaf and basil. Make sure it comes to a simmer if it already isn't, then turn heat down to medium-low, cover and let simmer for at least 40 minutes or so, stirring fairly frequently.
• Add pasta, and a little extra water if needed (I went with a bit under 1.5 cups of additional water), stir, and simmer, till pasta is tender. You will need to stir pretty frequently, or else surrender yourself to bottom-stick-stew.
• Top with some Parmesan or Romano.

PASTA E CECI (ITALIAN PASTA AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and the chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula and smashing about 1/2 cup of the beans.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high. Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. The water will mostly be absorbed by the pasta, but if you prefer it brothier, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup water and simmer until warmed through, 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the escarole and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

PASTA E CECI (JAMIE OLIVER)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet or soup pot over medium-low heat, and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onion, celery, celery leaves, and garlic, covered, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.
• Add the rosemary, chickpeas and stock and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until the chickpeas are soft. Remove half the chickpeas with a slotted spoon, and purée the remaining soup in a blender, through a food mill, or with an immersion blender. Return the purée and reserved chickpeas to the pot, and add the pasta.
• Cook until the pasta is tender, adding boiling water if necessary to loosen. Season to taste with salt and pepper and the lemon juice. Serve with parsley or basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

PASTA E CECI - PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Add onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary in pan with olive oil and cook over gentle heat for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Be careful not to caramelize them!
• Drain chickpeas in cold water and add them to pan, then cover with chicken stock. Cook over gentle heat for 30 minutes.
• Remove half the chickpeas and reserve in a bowl.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the remaining soup (or jush mash the chick peas up really well with a potato masher for a more rustic presentation).
• Return reserved chickpeas to pan, and add pasta. Cook gently until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.
• If the soup is a little too thick, add small amounts of hot water until it's the consistency you like.
• Season with salt, pepper, vinegar, and fresh herbs. Serve with a good loaf of bread!
• Feel free to exchange the type of stock - this is equally good with beef or chicken instead of vegetable!

PASTA E CECI EATING WITH THE SOPRANOS!

Steps:

• In large pot, cook pancetta in oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until garlic is golden.
• Add chickpeas, tomatoes and parsley, bring to a simmer, and cook 15 minutes.
• Crush some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon.
• Add 4 cups water to pot and bring to a simmer. Add pasta and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite.
• Add more water if necessary to prevent pasta from sticking to bottom of pot.
• The consistency should be just loose enough to require eating with a spoon.
• Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with coarsely ground black pepper.