Spaghetti with Chickpeas [Spaghetti con Ceci]

By vail28

Ingredients

• 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pancetta, diced (a little shy of 4 ounces)
• 2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Pinch chile flakes
• 2 14-ounce can tomatoes, chopped
• 20 to 30 basil leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

Set 1/3 cup of chickpeas aside. In a blender or food processor, combine remaining chickpeas with chicken stock and pulse a few times until chickpeas are chopped.

Place a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil and diced pancetta. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned; a splatter screen will make your stove look better than mine did after this. Add onions, garlic, and chile flakes. Continue cooking until onions and garlic are translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add chickpea mixture, tomatoes, and basil, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, or tastes like it could use an additional minute’s cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Toss pasta with chickpea sauce, reserved chickpeas and half of the reserved pasta water until evenly coated and heated through, about one minute. If sauce still feels too thick add reserved pasta water as needed. Season again, as needed, and serve with grated Parmesan to pass.