How to Make Pasta and Chickpeas: The $5 Italian Dinner
This is how to take two cans of chickpeas and turn them into a meal that can feed your entire family. This is the real heart of the Italian diet: pasta and beans. You won’t see this on a restaurant menu, but it’s exactly what Italians eat at home when we want something filling, healthy, and incredibly comforting.
If you’ve been looking for a one-pot pasta recipe that actually has some substance, this is the video for you. Most people think of “pasta and beans” as a soup, but today I’m showing you my creamy Pasta e Ceci!
This is the ultimate “stretch meal” that tastes like a million bucks. This dish proves you don’t need a long grocery list or expensive cuts of meat to make authentic Italian food. It’s a high-protein, vegetarian meal that’s ready in one pot, making it perfect for busy weeknights. The best part? You probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry to make it right now.
Ingredients:
1 lb Tubetti or Ditalini pasta
2 cans Chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 tbsp Tomato paste (heaping!)
4 cloves Garlic (whole)
2 sprigs Fresh rosemary
7 cups Water (plus more as needed)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. In a large pot, sauté whole garlic and rosemary in olive oil.
2. Add the chickpeas and sauté to coat. Remove the garlic and rosemary sprigs.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes to marry the flavors.
4. Take out about 3/4 of the chickpeas and blend them until smooth. Pour that cream back into the pot.
5. Add your pasta directly to the beans. Season with salt and add a little extra water if it gets too thick.
6. Cook until the pasta is tender.
⭐ Video Chapters
0:00 2 Cans Feed the Family
0:29 You Probably Have Everything to Make It
0:56 Sautéing the Garlic & Rosemary
1:37 Adding in the Chickpeas
2:24 Infuse the Tomato Flavor
2:58 The 20-minute Simmer
3:57 The Secret to Creamy Pasta
5:37 Throw in the Pasta
6:21 Preview of Cream in the Pan
7:01 Plating
7:23 Giovanni
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✅ Authentic Italian Comfort: This isn’t restaurant food; it’s the real-life soul food of Italy.
✅ True Mediterranean Diet: A perfect balance of plant-based protein and carbs that keeps you full and healthy.
✅ Budget Cooking: One pot, minimal ingredients, and feeds a family for just a few dollars.
Comment Below:
In Italy, every family has their own version of “Pasta and Beans.” Did your family use chickpeas, cannellini, or borlotti beans? And did you like it as a kid? Let me know in the comments! 👇🇮🇹
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🍳Tools Used in this Video (links may earn commission).
Pots & Pans: https://rstr.co/caraway/43648 10% off Code: UNPEZZODITALIA10
Induction Cooktop: https://amzn.to/4sA3pr1
Immersion Hand Blender: https://amzn.to/4pP8xEX
Cooking Tongs: https://amzn.to/400HqMu
#italianfood #pasta #chickpeas
33 Comments
Yum. What is the brand of your counter top cooker?
Sounds good but I can’t deal with Rosemary at all.
Hi Giovanni, this simple dish is delicious, my mom made it often but I wanted to share an even simpler dish we would eat.on Good Friday. Same dish except for the.pasta, it was a soup.version and my mom left the whole.garlic and rosemary in the broth. I.dont know if it was only eaten on Good Friday but it also was delicious espexially when you had to fast. ❤️🙏
I was planning on making the pasta & peas (again! so yummy!), but I have everything for this one, so I’ll give it a whirl. Love these simple recipes! Off to make my chickpea pasta lunch…
Wow! U cook and do laundry?😮😮😮
Thanks so much Giovanni! Although my family is from Abruzzo, I see many similarities. You are a treasure and are appreciated🙏🏼❤️
The link for the immersion blender you use isn't working. Could you possibly put the brand and model, please?
will try this for sure !! Are you doing a Bacalao recipe for us to try this Good Friday ? I have asked you to do bacalao Sicilian style to test your skills !!
Emptied the dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen during those 20 mins!
The peas 'n pasta was ace, I'll give this a go this week too
Keep going, Giovanni!!!!
You’ll hit 1M in NO time!!!! 🎉
In the Middle East we only use chickpeas for hummus, I'll definitely try this!
in the 20 minutes I'd drink coffee and eat some 100 percent cocoa solids chocolate
Believe me, I have no “bromances”, but you are by far the best Italian “cooking show”. In the event you get an invitation from GUI, respectfully decline it.
YUM
I thought canned chickpeas was already cooked? I like my soups to have something I can get my teeth😁 into. I probably do three cans chickpeas and puree just one can.
I make this dish quit often. I use dried chickpeas that I put in water the night before and boil in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes with a bayleaf. After boiling the chickpeas I basically follow your recipe
OK, I have to say this….APPROVED! So been watching many of their comedy videos recenlty.
Padta e cici. My favorite growing up!!
You are becoming that guy. Don’t change. This is the shit right here.
It is nice to see that you show us affordable meals that are also tasty. Thank you for these videos
Thank you for these great dairy and meat free meals!! Ive made the other two of your recipes and my whole family loved them both! I can't wait to try this one too 🙌✨️🙏
Outstanding recipe 👌🏻💚
I swear, I've been eating your dishes almost everyday since i discovered your channel. Thanks for your videos about cucina povra, not only it's delicious it's almost every time packed with proteins and vitamins. Plus it's vegetarian friendly, big kuddos to you sir.
🤜💥💪🍺
Hi Gio, Im a NYC foodie but my roots are in the southern USA. We love all cusines and Italian food is the best! You showed up in my feed about a month ago, thanks for the uncomplicated dishes. I made the pasta w peas already. Looking forward to trying this one also!❤❤❤❤
You are beautiful by the way, blessings to you and your wife! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉
Cookbook please
Excellent, tasty and affordable recipe.
Thank you.
You are a treasure!! Beautiful Italian recipes with a few simple ingredients. Delicious!!! ❤️
Ciao Giovanni! I wrote something yesterday on your pasta and green peas recipe… I think 🤔
Anyway, these are great suggestions for someone like me, a disabled widower with very limited mobility and on SS/retirement income. My Sicilian ancestry, and growing up in a dual nationality house, Cuban/Sicilian makes it easy for me to make at home.
I'm sorry if I'm rambling incoherently haha. I'm in a hospital room surrounded by nurses and pumped full of drugs.
Tantissimi grazie… Ciao!
I'll make this now ❤
I love this recipe and I’m definitely going to make it. Thank you.
I love it!