Pasta with chickpeas and spinach
Pasta con ceci e spinaci
Creamy and quick vegetarian first course
Short pasta with creamy chickpeas, fresh spinach, garlic and chili pepper, inspired by Apulian cuisine.
Pasta with chickpeas and spinach is a first course A nutritious vegetarian dish, crafted from the soft texture of legumes and the freshness of spinach, added at the end. The blended chickpeas create a thick, enveloping cream that binds the pasta together while cooking directly in the pot. Garlic, chili pepper and extra virgin olive oil define the aromatic profile with an intense and pleasantly spicy note, while the added oil raw, off the heat It completes the dish with a more rounded flavour. The recipe uses canned chickpeas to reduce cooking time without sacrificing the creamy texture typical of pasta and chickpeas. The spinach retains its delicate vegetal character because it's only wilted in the final minutes. The preparation is inspired by Apulian cuisine, where legumes and wild vegetables are important elements of the diet.
Instructions
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3 steps · natural Italian voice
Prepare the aromatic base
5 minHeat plenty of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and chili pepper and let them flavor over low heat for 3 minutes, avoiding browning the garlic: the aroma should be intense but not bitter. Add the drained chickpeas and cook for another 2 minutes.
Make the chickpea cream
5 minTake a third of the chickpeas and blend them with a little hot water until you obtain a smooth, thick cream. Pour it into the pot, then add more hot water until it covers the dressing. Bring to a boil, checking that there is a regular boil before adding the pasta.
Cook pasta and spinach
20 minAdd the pasta directly to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, so the cream distributes and the starch helps thicken. Add more hot water if the bottom becomes too dry. In the last 2 minutes, add the spinach, seasoning with salt: it should wilt without completely losing its color. Finish with plenty of extra virgin olive oil. raw, off the heat.
Chef's Tips
Add the spinach only in the last 2 minutes, so that it wilt in the heat of the pasta, maintaining a green color and a pleasant texture.
Ingredients
- (10.58 oz) 300 g short pasta, such as mezze maniche or orecchiette
- 1.5 cans of chickpeas, equal to (12.7 oz) 360 g drained
- (5.29 oz) 150 g fresh spinach
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Chili pepper abundant
- Plenty of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino grated, optional
- Rosemary, as an alternative to garlic
Can't find it in the US?
- pecorinoMost US supermarkets
Pecorino Romano is the easiest to find
It is saltier than most Italian pecorino: taste before adding salt.
⚠️ Automatic ingredient-based detection. Always check product labels.
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