Pasta e Ceci
One of my favorite things about winter is soup! I love to make soup on a Monday night, and eat leftovers for lunch all week. This soup is so simple, and shockingly good. It’s reminds me of a soup they would bring you at a small Italian trattoria, such depth of flavor. Bonus: there is very little chopping or prep, and it comes together in about 30 minutes.
Serves 4-6
Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe
2 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 anchovy fillet, minced (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon anchovies paste, but won’t be quite as flavorful)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (do not drain)
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) ditalini
2 cups baby spinach or escarole, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
To serve- Parmesan and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Process pancetta in food processor until ground to paste, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add carrot, celery, and garlic and pulse until finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses. Add onion and pulse an additional 8 to 10 pulses.
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan. Once olive oil is warm, add pancetta mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pulse tomatoes in now-empty food processor until coarsely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses. Set aside.
Add anchovy, pepper flakes, and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and their liquid, chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. In the last two minutes, add spinach to wilt.
Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, passing Parmesan and extra oil separately
