Pasta e Ceci

One of my favorites, definitely a comfort food, and a food for cold winter nights. YUM! I used to love eating bowl after bowl of my grandmother's Pasta e Ceci. For the non-italians out there, Pasta e Ceci is just a tomato based soup with Ceci beans (garbanzo beans, pronounced "chee chee") and some kind of pasta, any kind will do. I like to use spaghetti and break it up into smaller pieces.

So, here's how you can have your very own pot of Pasta e Ceci, now, remember I'm Italian so I don't use recipes. I cook to taste, and you'll have to as well. Trust me, that's the way to do it. Don't be afraid to just wing it.

So you just gotta break the spaghetti into thirds, boil it in some chicken broth, use as much or little as you want. You can even use water, beef broth, vegetable broth, or whatever you want. There's no rules here. I use chicken broth though, then you let it boil and get soft, let it sit for a few minutes off the heat when it's done so it absorbs the liquid. Add more if you need more.

Next, add a can of tomato sauce, just plain tomato sauce. Preferably Cento if you can get it, but really, any kind will do. For tonight, I am using Trader Joe's brand because it's what was available to me. Turn the heat back on low, and heat up your soup!

Now, open your ceci beans, rinse them off and add to the soup. Add one or two cans, it's up to you. It depends how many beans you want with your pasta. 

Now here comes the fun part- season to taste with salt and pepper and if you want an added kick, add some red chili flakes.

Tada! Simple, cheap, authentic. Buon Appetito!