Dinner

Pasta E Ceci

By Marisa Mariella and Valentina Spadafora

This is an authentic humble meal loved by all donnicesi! Served annually at the Donnici Club Regional Dinner. During Festitalia, this dish is incredibly delicious and satisfying!

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Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Passata

Wash tomatoes and remove the core and any blemishes. Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters. Place the cut tomatoes in a large pot with a lid. Do not add water or salt.

Using medium heat, bring the tomatoes to a
boil. Stir a few times until the tomatoes break down and become soft. This step should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Spoon the tomatoes in a food mill with a fine sieve. Process the tomatoes until the skins and seeds that remain are dry. The tomato puree is called passata and should measure about 5 cups.

 

Step 2: Make The Tomato Sauce

In a large saucepan, lightly heat oil. Add the garlic, oregano and chili flakes and stir. Cook until the garlic softens.

(If you prefer, you can slice the garlic, cook in the oil, and then remove after it has softened.) Do not brown the garlic.

Add the passata.
Stir in salt and add basil.

Allow to cook on medium heat, stirring often for about 45 minutes.

The sauce is cooked when it has reduced by about one-third and thickened.

Taste and adjust salt if needed.

 

Step 3: Prepare The Chick Peas

 

For the pressure cooker method: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or add the chick peas and water and cook for 47 minutes on high pressure.

Or follow the instructions below for a long soak or quick soak method.

For the long soak method: Add the chick peas to a large bowl and cover with 10cm of water. Soak the chick peas overnight, adding more water if needed. Add the soaked chick peas to a large pot, covering them with 10cm of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer with lid on until they are tender, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Once done, add salt to taste and stir gently. Drain.

For the quick soak method: Add the chick peas to a large pot, cover with 10cm of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and keep the chick peas in the water for 1 hour. Add the soaked chick peas to a large pot, covering them with 10cm of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer with lid on until they are tender, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Once done, add salt to taste and stir gently. Drain.

 

Step 4: Make Homemade Pasta

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix together.

Slowly drizzle the water/egg and oil on the flour. Using a fork, begin to mix until the ingredients come together to form a sticky dough.

Place the dough on a floured surface and begin to knead, adding a little more flour at a time. Continue to knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth. Wrap the dough ball in plastic film and place in the refrigerator to rest for about 15 minutes.

After rested, remove the dough from the plastic film and divide it into pieces, about the size of a golf ball. Sprinkle each small piece of dough with flour and begin to roll out using a floured rolling pin. You can use a pasta machine to roll out the dough, using the tab for the thickest width.

Lightly sprinkle flour on both sides of the rolled out dough. Change the pasta machine tab to Number 3 thickness and roll out the piece of dough again so that it is about 3cm thick.

Place the pasta sheet on a floured surface. Fold the sheet over itself into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta in 3 to 4cm strips. Unfold and lay the ribbons flat on the work surface. Cut each ribbon in pieces of about 5cm long, sideways to form lagane. Repeat with each piece of dough.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add enough salt to make the water salty. Add a couple of teaspoon of oil. Add the lagane to the boiling water and gently stir. The lagane are cooked as soon as they come to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pasta from the boiling water.

 

Step 5: Assemble The Dish

About a minute before the pasta is cooked, add the cooked chick peas to the pot of boiling water and pasta to re-heat the chick peas. Do not overcook the pasta.

Drain the pasta and chick peas well. Serves 4 to 6.Place the pasta and chick peas in a large bowl and spoon some of the tomato sauce over the dish.

Toss to coat evenly, adding more sauce to personal taste. Grate parmigiano reggiano cheese over the pasta and chick peas.

Serve immediately and enjoy

 

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