Primo / Pasta main course

Casarecce Ciceri e Tria — Chickpeas and Fried Pasta

Name: Casarecce Ciceri e Tria — Chickpeas and Fried Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 250 g / 9 oz, soaked overnight Dried chickpeas soaked overnight; 320 g / 11.3 oz Casarecce pasta; 120 g / 4.2 oz Fresh pasta strips for tria; 60 ml / 1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil; 500 ml / 2 cups, for frying Neutral frying oil for frying; 120 g / 4.2 oz, finely chopped Yellow onion finely chopped; 70 g / 2.5 oz, finely chopped Celery finely chopped; 80 g / 2.8 oz, finely chopped Carrot finely chopped; 2 cloves / about 10 g, lightly crushed Garlic lightly crushed; 2 sprigs / about 4 g Rosemary; 20 g / 0.7 oz Tomato paste; 1.4 L / 6 cups, plus more as needed Water or light vegetable stock plus more as needed; 12 g / 2 tsp, plus more for pasta water Fine sea salt plus more for pasta water; 2 g / 1 tsp Black pepper; 8 g / 0.3 oz, finely chopped Flat-leaf parsley finely chopped; 15 ml / 1 tbsp, for finishing Extra-virgin olive oil for finishing; 2 g / 1 tsp, optional but bright Lemon zest optional but bright

A rustic Apulian-style pasta dish with tender chickpeas, silky casarecce, rosemary-scented broth, and crisp golden fried pasta strips for a deep, nutty crunch.

Prep20 minTotal20 min 4 servingsEasyAbout 620 kcal per serving

Recipe video

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Method

Drain the soaked chickpeas, place them in a pot with fresh water, one rosemary sprig, and one crushed garlic clove, then simmer gently for 60–75 minutes until tender but not falling apart.

Salt the chickpeas near the end of cooking, then reserve about 700 ml / 3 cups of their cooking liquid and drain the chickpeas.

Warm the olive oil in a wide pan, add onion, celery, and carrot, and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until soft and sweet.

Add the remaining garlic, rosemary, tomato paste, and black pepper; stir for 1 minute until fragrant and brick-red.

Add the chickpeas and 500 ml / 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid, then simmer for 12 minutes so the chickpeas absorb the aromatics.

Blend or mash one ladle of chickpeas with a little liquid, then stir it back into the pan to create a naturally creamy sauce.

Heat the frying oil to 175°C / 350°F and fry the fresh pasta strips in small batches for 45–60 seconds, until crisp and golden; drain on paper towels and season lightly.

Boil the casarecce in salted water until 2 minutes before al dente, then transfer them directly into the chickpea pan.

Finish cooking the casarecce in the sauce, adding pasta water or reserved chickpea liquid little by little until glossy, creamy, and loose.

Taste for salt, turn off the heat, rest for 2 minutes, then serve with fried tria, parsley, lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and black pepper.

Chef notes

Serve hot in shallow bowls. Keep most of the fried tria on top so it stays crunchy, with a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a little parsley for freshness.

Do not boil the chickpeas aggressively, or their skins may split and the broth can turn cloudy. Salt the chickpeas only once tender. Fry the tria in small batches so the oil temperature stays stable. Add the fried pasta only at the end to preserve its crunch.