Name: Sarah Cicolini’s pasta ceci e pancetta affumicata (ditali with chickpeas and smoked pancetta)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 200 gm dried chickpeas, soaked overnight; 1 small onion; 1 carrot; 1 leek, halved lengthwise; 180 ml (¾ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 180 gm smoked pancetta (see note) or pancetta, cut into 5mm dice; 2 garlic cloves, diced; 2 sun-dried tomatoes, diced; 2 tsp smoked sweet paprika; 200 gm dried ditali; Dried chilli flakes, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Sarah Cicolini’s pasta ceci e pancetta affumicata (ditali with chickpeas and smoked pancetta)

A childhood recipe from Sarah Cicolini of acclaimed restaurant Santo Palato in Rome.

Ditali with chickpeas and smoked pancetta (Pasta ceci e pancetta affumicata)

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

Cook

1H 5M

Total

1H 10M

“I learnt this recipe from my grandmother,” says Sarah Cicolini of acclaimed trattoria Santo Palato in Rome. “She would make this classic soup with pancetta leftover from charcuterie plates. I add dried sweet peppers, but you can also use dried chilli flakes.” Start this recipe a day ahead to soak the chickpeas.

Ingredients

200 gm dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 small onion

1 carrot

1 leek, halved lengthwise

180 ml (¾ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

180 gm smoked pancetta (see note) or pancetta, cut into 5mm dice

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 sun-dried tomatoes, diced

2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

200 gm dried ditali

Dried chilli flakes, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Method

1.Drain chickpeas and transfer to a large saucepan. Add twice the volume of water as the chickpeas, then add onion, carrot and leek. Bring to the boil and cook until tender (30 minutes). Season to taste, then cool (40 minutes). Drain, discarding vegetables and reserving cooking water.

2.Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add pancetta, garlic, tomatoes and paprika, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until pancetta is browned (about 5 minutes). Add chickpea cooking water (about 800ml) and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat, then add chickpeas and return to a simmer. Cook for another 15 minutes, add ditali, season to taste, then add dried chilli flakes to taste. Cook until ditali is just short of al dente (3 minutes less than cooking time on packet). Remove from heat and cover for 3 minutes to finish cooking. Serve topped with black pepper to taste.