Vincenzo’s Italian Chickpea Pasta

Ditalini Rigati pasta, 350g
Chickpeas, canned, 2 cans
Carrot, 1, finely chopped
Onion, 1, finely chopped
Garlic clove, 1, crushed
San Marzano tomatoes, canned, 2
Fresh rosemary, 1 sprig
Bay leaves, 3-4
Extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbs, plus a little more
Pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper
Water, 2.5 cups

Start by draining and rinsing your chickpeas — keep each portion in a separate bowl.
Chop your carrot and onion for the soffritto and set aside. Be sure to chop it finely, making it smaller than the pasta.
Crush your garlic and set aside, or wait to crush the garlic directly into the soffritto when you reach this step.
Add a generous amount of EVOO to one of the bowls of chickpeas (at least 2-3 Tbsp) and start blending with your immersion blender until you get a creamy consistency. Add a few splashes of water if you’re unhappy with the consistency.
Next, give the immersion blender a rinse before using it again to gently crush your tomatoes.
Now heat your large pot on low heat and add about 4-5 Tbsp of EVOO. Once the oil is sufficiently heated, add the soffritto.
Stir and allow to simmer then add in your bay leaves and fresh rosemary. Continue stirring to coat it all in the oil and cover the pot so the flavors infuse.
After approx 5 minutes, remove the lid and add crushed garlic. Stir the ingredients again and add about 2 Tbsp of water to prevent the garlic from burning. Cover for another 5 minutes so the flavors further combine.
Next, remove the lid and some of the rosemary leaves from the stem. Then, remove the stem from the pot.
Add the crushed tomato sauce to the pot and quickly stir then add the second can of chickpeas plus salt and pepper to taste. (Don’t overdo it with the salt!)
Stir again then remove the bay leaves and add your pasta. Once your pasta is added, stir vigorously to combine with the sauce and soak in the flavor.
Once everything is well mixed, add one mug (236.58 mL/ 8 oz) of water and stir continuously as the pasta cooks.
After about 5 minutes, add a second mug of water and keep stirring for an additional 5-8 minutes.
Now add your chickpea cream, scraping the sides of the bowl or container to remove it all.
Stir the chickpea cream into the pot to mix with the sauce and pasta.
Continue to stir and as you you mix in the chickpea cream, add up to another ½ mug of water (118 mL/4 oz). Don’t worry if it looks a little runny at this point. Both the pasta and chickpea cream will continue to absorb the water and thicken up nicely.
Keep stirring for another 2 minutes or so for the pasta to cook al dente. (It’s best to taste as you go to make sure it’s perfect!)
Once the pasta is al dente, remove the pot from the heat and move it around then quickly stir to release heat.
Add some pecorino cheese (as much as you’d like) and stir once more. (This is optional).
Now your pasta with chickpeas is ready to serve! Scoop a large spoonful into a shallow pasta bowl, top with some more pecorino cheese.
Once al dente, stop the cooking process. Lid on will cause the pasta to absorb the liquid and it will become gluggy.