Gilda's Ceci Bean Soup with Pasta

Zuppa di Ceci con Pasta di Gilda
This soup was one of Sam Zeoli’s favorites. Gilda would make this for him when we lived in Syosset. I remember one cold autumn evening when she picked him up at the train station right by Weintraub’s stationery and soda fountain shop on his return from Manhattan– she had left the soup simmering very low on the stove, and the fried cod fish was in the oven on warm. My dad would return home about 6:30-7:00 pm during the work week, and she and my grandmother, Adelina, would always have food prepared for him when he got home. I knew this soup was one of his favorites, if not the favorite, because he usually wanted a second bowl (so did I, needless to say).
Zuppa di Ceci con Pasta is a Neapolitan classic traditionally served on Fridays before the baccalà (cod fish). It is a comfort food, nutritious, and loaded with fiber – it will keep your insides in good health!
The thing to keep in mind about making Gilda’s Zuppa di Ceci is remembering to soak the chickpeas – it’s very easy to forget to do the night before. Then you need to remember to cook them at a gentle simmer for at least a couple of hours. You can use canned chickpeas, but then you will miss the water the chickpeas were cooked in which provides a great stock with which to make your soup. Once the soaking and bean cooking is over, it’s all very easy, you are basically making a soup and then cooking some pasta in it.
You prepare your soffrito of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery, sautéing them gently and slowly in oil until soft, floppy, and translucent. Then you add a little bit of tomato paste and a sprig of rosemary, stir, and then 2/3 of your cooked chickpeas. You stir again and then cover everything with stock or water, and throw in a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (most Italian stores have them – even our local supermarket has them – never throw away your good cheese rinds). Bring the pan to a boil, reduce to a simmer and then let the pan bubble away gently for about 20 minutes.
Now, remove the rind and sprig of rosemary and then pass everything through the processor or blender to create a smooth soup. Remove from processor and put into soup pot. Now you add the rest of the cooked chickpeas.
At this point you have two choices – you can either add some more water or stock to the soup, bring it to a boil and cook your pasta directly in the soup, or you can cook your pasta separately in some fast boiling salted water and then add it to the soup, and let things rest for about 5 minutes and the serve. I prefer the latter method, and so did Gilda.
If I am using fresh pasta which cooks quickly, I cook it in the soup in which case some attentive stirring is in order or the pasta adheres itself to the bottom of the pan. If I am using dried pasta, such as ditalini, I cook it separately and then add it to the soup.
Lastly, you need to let the soup rest for a few minutes before you serve it; if things are too hot, the flavors are impossible to find.
Ingredients for 4:
½ lb dried chickpeas soaked overnight and then simmered for 2 hours until tender 1 lb canned chickpeas
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 rib of celery finely diced
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic toes, slightly crushed with edge of knife
2 T tomato paste
1 small sprig of rosemary
2-1/8 c vegetable, chicken, or rabbit stock or water the chickpeas were cooked in with more plain water added to make up the 21/8 c if necessary.
optional - 2-1/8 c extra water or stock only if you cook the pasta in the soup.
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
½ lb ditalini or any other tubular pasta
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil to top
Preparation:
Prepare your soffrito of finely chopped onion, garlic, carrot and celery, sautéing them gently and slowly in the oil in a large, heavy-based pan until soft, floppy, and translucent.
Then you add the tomato paste and a sprig of rosemary, stir, and then add 2/3 of your cooked chickpeas.
Stir again and then cover everything with stock or water, and throw in a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Bring the pan to a boil, reduce to simmer, and then let the pan bubble away gently for about 20 minutes.
Remove the rind and rosemary and pass everything through the processor, or give it a blast with the blender to create a smooth soup.
At this point you add the rest of the cooked chickpeas and season to taste with salt [and freshly ground black pepper].
Now the two choices:
1. You can add some more water or stock to the soup, bring it to the boil and cook your pasta directly in the soup
or
2. You can cook your pasta separately in some fast boiling salted water and then add it to the soup, and then let things rest for about 5 minutes so the flavors mingle. Serve dribbled with more extra virgin olive oil and some freshly grated Parmigiano Regiano.
Mangia bene!