Victoria Granof’s Pasta con Ceci

The recipe as is was good, but it was better, when we used 5 cloves of garlic, and swapped the water out for vegetable broth. At that point it was excellent! Our kid even asked to take the leftovers for lunch!

Saw this mentioned in The Sunday Reset and was glad I did as tonight was the night before grocery day! I made a few delicious adjustments based on what I had on hand:

I upped the garlic (I think I used about 5 cloves),
I added a few anchovies like another reviewer suggested, which I had sizzle and dissolve in the oil with the garlic.
I added 1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes in with the oil, garlic, and anchovies just before adding the tomato paste,
I then added a couple handfuls of whole cherry tomatoes that needed to get used up and allowed them to blister slightly before adding the chickpeas.
I enriched my boiling water with Better Than Bouillon (for this reason, I skipped adding salt to the recipe) and I upped the quantity to 3 cups to account for the slightly larger pasta shapes I used (a random 4 oz rigatoni and 4 oz orecchiette in my pantry).
I finished with the juice from half a lemon to brighten it all up and it was absolutely delicious served with a generous amount of parm microplaned on top. I only wish I had a bit of parsley!

P.S. the recipe doesn't mention a heat level at the beginning! I started at medium and went from there. Overall, a really great early fall comfort dish that still felt balanced.

A nice, comforting and versatile dish. It's so simple to make with pantry staples. I'd suggest adding an anchovy or a splash of fish sauce for a touch of umami.

I've made this countless times for my family. It was a lifesaver during the height of the pandemic. You can also add some spinach at the end and cover the pot for it to wilt.

This was quick and delish, and the family enjoyed! Bcs I had it on hand, I added some diced zucchini and topped with some crisped prosciutto and Parmesan. Will definitely make again!

I'm not going to lie- chickpea pasta sounded very unappealing to me. But I was out of everything except these ingredients and was desperate. And omg this was so freaking good!! We had zero leftovers. Great meal!

Oily and unpleasant

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's fast. It's easy. And it is delicious. I make it whenever I want a quick and easy pantry dinner.

Delish! Added frozen butternut squash chunks and I thought it was divine.

I just made this w previously roasted spaghetti squash and white beans. I used less water - maybe 2/3 cup. It was great! All I had was Trader Joe’s paste and CA olive oil and it was very good just with staples.

This was delicious. High ratio of tastiness to effort! I might increase the water to 2.5 cups.

I’ve made this many times, it’s delicious every time. I’ve made it low fodmap with garlic oil and gluten free ditalini. I’ve made it with garlic as well. I always add a small parmesan rind. I also always fry the chickpeas with the oil and tomato paste for a bit to help caramelize and deepen the flavor. Always use my best quality olive oil and double concentrate tomato paste, and the salt is essential. I’ve also cut down the oil to 1 tbs with no issues a few times.

This is a great idea and sounds so easy but really didnt look or taste good. I added lots of cheese to give it flavor and thicken the 'soupiness'. Edible but nothing special.

I love this as my base recipe. I use 2 cups of chicken stock though and also fresh rosemary with the garlic in the oil. The rosemary really goes well with this. Also adapted it for the instant pot and cook it on high pressure for 4 minutes. Comes out perfect!

I made this and it was very bland. Not sure what I did wrong. Looked like a straightforward recipe.

Love this so much and make it every few weeks. We definitely use a lot more garlic and let it brown well before adding the tomato paste. It’s good with escarole or kale wilted in towards the end, but often enough we leave it out.

Scrumptious recipe! This was my first attempt & it had loads of flavor. Assume my high quality olive oil, Mutti double concentrated tomato paste and Rummo Tubetti Rigati was the ticket. I also added chopped spinach and a cube of parmigiano rind per a couple helpful reviews. My adjustments were 4 TB tomato paste (vs 3 TB), 3/4 cup pasta (vs 1/2 cup ~ wanted a more even distribution between beans and pasta) and 2 1/2 cups water because several people mentioned it was dry. This was far from dry. Don't skimp on salt, pepper nor hot red pepper flakes. My only trepidation was finding a 'toasting' balance to prevent the garlic from burning. I was very careful not to turn the heat up too high and coddle the garlic, stirring constantly at a low heat. What took me so long to make this flavorful and healthy meal?

Scrumptious recipe! This was my first attempt & it had loads of flavor. Assume my high quality olive oil, Mutti double concentrated tomato paste and Rummo Tubetti Rigati No72' was the ticket. I also added chopped spinach and a cube of parmigiano rind per a couple helpful reviews. My adjustments were 4 TB tomato paste (vs 3 TB), 3/4 cup pasta (vs 1/2 cup ~ wanted a more even distribution between beans and pasta) and 2 1/2 cups water because several people mentioned it was dry. This was far from dry. Don't skimp on salt, pepper nor hot red pepper flakes. My only trepidation was finding a 'toasting' balance to prevent the garlic from burning. I was very careful not to turn the heat up too high and coddle the garlic, stirring constantly at a low heat. What took me so long to make this flavorful and healthy meal?

Delicious comfort food! This is so simple to make that it seems approachable even when I come home late from work and feel too tired to cook. I add arugula on top to feel healthy. Thanks for a delicious vegan recipe!

This is on permanent rotation at our house. I make it with chickpeas cooked in the Instant Pot (for just 3 minutes after an overnight soaking!) and always use the cooking liquid instead of water (à la Deb Perlman). I also make her garlic, hot pepper flake and olive oil drizzle for the top of it. Toss in a Parmesan rind too if you have one.

Quick, simple and absolutely delicious! Appreciate the short list of pantry ingredients. I read other reviews and added some chicken broth rather than water. I had a bag of baby spinach that needed to get used up, so I tossed in a few handfuls for the last 5 minutes of simmering time.