This is a vegetarian pasta recipe from Silvia Colloca.
Ingredients
- 2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 100 gpiece smoked pancetta or speck, cut into small pieces
- 1large French shallot, finely chopped
- 1garlic clove, skin on, smashed
- 2-3sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 2400 g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1piece of parmesan cheese or pecorino rind
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 500 ml (2 cups) passata
- 200 g dried egg pappardelle, coarsely broken with your hands
- 1small bunch cavolo nero, leaves stripped and coarsely chopped
- grated pecorino and chili oil (optional), to serve
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it starts to caramelise. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cheese rind and season with a little salt. Add the passata and 400 ml water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until slightly reduced.
- Add a couple of ladles of boiling water to the pan to ensure there’s enough liquid to cook the pasta straight in with the chickpeas. Bring to the boil, add the broken pappardelle and stir well so the pasta doesn’t stick. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. You will notice that the soup thickens as the pasta cooks. Turn off the heat, add the cavolo nero and allow the residual heat to wilt and cook it gently. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Let the soup stand for a few minutes before serving to allow the starch from the pasta to thicken it a little or eat it straight away if you like it a bit soupier. A generous sprinkling of grated pecorino cheese and drizzle of chili oil is highly recommended!
