Pasta E Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas)

A nice refresher from Pasta Fagioli. Super satisfying, inexpensive and easy to make, I could live off this stuff, and often do.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 1 pot

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  smoked pancetta, diced (or bacon)
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1  medium onion, small dice
• 1  stalk celery, small dice
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  ounce pimiento, diced (or roasted red peppers)
• 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon  hot pepper flakes
• 1⁄4 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
• 1 (796 ml) can diced tomatoes (3-4 cups)
• 1 (156 ml) can tomato paste
• 2  cups chicken broth
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1⁄2 cups  cooked chickpeas
• 1 1⁄2 cups  small-cut pasta (or broken long-cut pasta, shells, ditalini, broken spaghetti, etc)
•  salt and pepper
•  water

Directions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil, and begin to saute the pancetta or bacon over medium-high heat. When sufficiently browned, remove all but 2 tsp or so of the fat.
2. Add onions and celery, sweat three minutes or so until they soften, add garlic, cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add pimento (or roasted red peppers), cook for a minute or so, then stir in hot pepper flakes (or cayenne), and anchovy paste, if you’re using it.
3. Add tomatoes, paste, and chicken broth, stirring until tomato paste is smooth. Add sugar, bay leaf and basil. Make sure it comes to a simmer if it already isn’t, then turn heat down to medium-low, cover and let simmer for at least 40 minutes or so, stirring fairly frequently.
4. Add pasta, and a little extra water if needed (I went with a bit under 1.5 cups of additional water), stir, and simmer, till pasta is tender. You will need to stir pretty frequently, or else surrender yourself to bottom-stick-stew.
5. Top with some Parmesan or Romano.