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Italian, Rome / Lazio cuisineFirst course

Pasta e ceci alla romana

Roman pasta e ceci combines slowly cooked chickpeas with rosemary, a little tomato and an anchovy-garlic soffritto, then cooks short pasta directly in the chickpea broth until creamy.

Pasta e ceci alla romana: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish
20 minutesPrep
2 h 15 minCook
14 h 35 minTotal
4 servingsYield

About Pasta e ceci alla romana

Turismo Roma highlights salted anchovy and rosemary as the details that distinguish the Roman version from many other Italian pasta-and-chickpea preparations.

The official Ada Boni-style recipe soaks dried chickpeas overnight, then cooks them for around two hours with rosemary.

The pasta cooks directly in the chickpea liquid, releasing starch that thickens the bowl naturally.

The final consistency should be creamy and spoonable, not dry like dressed pasta and not thin like clear soup.

Technique

Three things that matter

  • Cook chickpeas fully first. Undercooked chickpeas will not soften reliably in the final short pasta stage.
  • Melt the anchovies. They should dissolve into the oil and season the base without tasting like separate fish pieces.
  • Control liquid at the pasta stage. Add hot water only as needed so starch remains concentrated.

Ingredients

Recipe card

Pasta e ceci alla romana

Yield4
Preparation: 20 mCooking: 135 mTotal time: 14 h 35 m

Chickpeas

Roman soffritto and pasta

Equipment

Large bowl for soaking chickpeas
Heavy soup pot for simmering
Small skillet or saucepan for soffritto
Wooden spoon for pasta stage
Ladle for hot chickpea liquid

Method

Soak and cook the chickpeas

01Soak overnight.

Cover dried chickpeas with plenty of cool water and soak 12 hours.

Beans should swell noticeably and remain fully submerged.

02Drain and start fresh.

Drain, add chickpeas to fresh water with rosemary and bring to a gentle simmer.

Foam should be skimmed and the boil kept gentle.

03Cook until creamy inside.

Simmer about 2 hours, topping up with hot water as needed.

A chickpea should crush easily between fingers without a chalky centre.

Make the Roman base

04Warm garlic in oil.

Heat olive oil gently with garlic until fragrant but not browned hard.

Garlic should perfume the oil without turning bitter.

05Dissolve the anchovies.

Add anchovies and mash until they disappear into the oil.

No distinct fillet pieces should remain.

06Add tomato and chickpeas.

Stir in tomato, cook 2–3 minutes, then add chickpeas with enough cooking liquid to cover generously.

The pot should return to a loose simmering soup.

Cook pasta in the soup

07Season and simmer.

Cook the chickpea mixture 10 minutes to combine flavours; remove the rosemary stems and garlic if desired.

Broth should taste balanced before pasta goes in.

08Add pasta directly.

Stir in pasta and cook about 8 minutes, adding hot water only if needed.

The liquid should visibly thicken as pasta releases starch.

09Rest and pepper.

When pasta is al dente, remove from heat, rest 3 minutes and finish with black pepper and a little olive oil.

The bowl should be creamy, glossy and spoonable.

Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Shortcut

Cooked chickpeas can shorten the process, but dried chickpeas give a fuller cooking broth and more traditional texture.

Friday tradition

The chickpea-and-pasta combination has long served as a meatless Roman meal, especially on lean days.

Leftovers

The soup thickens strongly as it stands; loosen with hot water when reheating.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

  • Chickpeas remain hard. They were old or under-soaked; continue simmering before adding pasta.
  • Soup turns gluey. Too little liquid was left for the pasta; loosen immediately with hot water.
  • Anchovy flavour is obvious and harsh. Anchovies were not dissolved into the oil or too many were used.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: approximately 480 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 77 g
  • Protein: 20 g
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Fibre: 15 g
  • Sodium: 720 mg

Approximate; sodium depends on anchovies and seasoning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Soaked chickpeas should be refrigerated if soaking longer than 8–10 hours in a warm room.

Boil/simmer legumes fully before eating; do not taste undercooked dried chickpeas repeatedly.

Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate up to 3 days.

FAQ

FAQ

What makes pasta e ceci Roman?

The classic Roman treatment uses anchovy in the soffritto and rosemary in the chickpea cooking liquid.

Should it be soupy?

It should be creamy and spoonable, with enough broth to surround the pasta.

Can canned chickpeas be used?

Yes for speed, though the flavour and body from slowly cooked dried chickpeas are better.

Final note

What matters most

  • Result: Creamy chickpeas and short pasta in rosemary-scented broth with savoury anchovy depth and a touch of tomato.
  • Key: Cook the pasta directly in the chickpea liquid and stop while it is still spoonable.
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