Rosemary Chickpea and Ditalini Stew

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A rustic Tuscan one-pot supper where half the chickpeas are blended into a silky, creamy base — no dairy needed — and the pasta cooks right in the pot so it drinks up all the rosemary-garlic broth. Thick enough to eat with a fork, finished with a slick of chili oil and lots of black pepper.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/4 cups dried ditalini or other small tube pasta
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

1. Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until softened and just starting to color at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the sliced garlic, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook it hard for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot, until it darkens to a brick red and starts to stick — this is where the depth comes from.
4. Add 1 can's worth of the chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups) plus 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer to a standing blender and blend for 45 seconds (vent the lid).
5. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the remaining chickpeas, the remaining 3 cups broth, the bay leaf, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes so the flavors marry and the base thickens slightly.
6. Stir in the ditalini and cook at an active simmer, stirring every 2 minutes so nothing sticks, until the pasta is al dente — usually 9 to 11 minutes, or 1 minute less than the package time. The stew should be thick and spoon-coating; add a splash of hot water if it tightens too much.
7. While the pasta cooks, make the chili oil: combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the smashed garlic clove in a small skillet over low heat. Warm gently for 4 to 5 minutes until the garlic is pale gold and the oil is fragrant, then remove from the heat and discard the garlic.
8. Off the heat, fish out the bay leaf and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, and half the parsley. Taste and adjust salt — it should taste bright and well-seasoned.
9. Let the stew rest 5 minutes to thicken, then ladle into wide bowls. Drizzle each with the warm chili oil and scatter with the remaining parsley, the lemon zest, and a heavy grind of black pepper.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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