Pasta in chickpea soup with bay leaves and red garlic

Pasta in chickpea soup with bay leaves and red garlic is a comforting and nourishing dish, ideal for colder days. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 400g of dried chickpeas or two cans of precooked chickpeas
• 200g of short pasta (ditalini, tubetti or another format suitable for soups)
• 1 clove of red garlic, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 small onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 carrot
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chili pepper (optional)
• Vegetable broth or water as needed
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. If using dried chickpeas, soak them in cold water the night before and let them soak for at least 12 hours. Otherwise, if using canned chickpeas, rinse them under running water and set aside.

2. In a large pot, sauté the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery in extra virgin olive oil until they are soft and lightly golden.

3. Add the whole clove of garlic (this will make it easier to remove it towards the end of cooking), the chili pepper if you like a spicy touch, the rosemary and the bay leaves.

4. After a few minutes, add the chickpeas (already soaked and rinsed or canned) and cover with vegetable broth or water. If you have used dried chickpeas, remember to add a little more liquid, as they will absorb more during cooking.

5. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover with a lid and simmer for about 1 hour and a half (if dried chickpeas) or for about 30 minutes (if canned chickpeas) until the chickpeas are soft. Remember to check occasionally and add liquid if necessary.

6. When the chickpeas are almost done, season with salt and pepper and then add the pasta to the soup, letting it cook in the chickpea broth until al dente.

7. Once the pasta is ready and the soup has reached the desired consistency (add hot water if it seems too thick), remove the garlic, chili pepper, bay leaves, and rosemary.

8. Serve the chickpea soup pasta hot, with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Curiosities

This soup is a classic “poor man’s” dish of Italian cuisine, based on the use of simple ingredients but rich in flavor and nourishment. Each region has its own variant: for example, in Tuscany, the version called “ribollita” is typical. In this case, the addition of bay leaves and red garlic makes it especially fragrant and characteristic.