A substantial soup (if you use chicken stock instead of water, it will be even more so) and a perfect winter lunch or a solid dinner when teamed with a light grilled dish, like Grilled Swordfish Rémoulade (page 256) or “Grilled” Mackerel with Garlic and Rosemary (page 266). Remember, though, that chickpeas can take a long time to cook, so if you have any inkling you’re going to make this soup, cook the chickpeas in advance. (Canned chickpeas are also good, or you can use lentils for speed; see the variation.) This soup can be refrigerated for a few days and reheated before serving, but it’s best to add the pasta at the last minute.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

　　1 carrot, chopped

　　1 celery stalk, chopped

　　1 onion, chopped

　　1 teaspoon dried rosemary

　　2 cups cooked (page 431) or canned chickpeas, drained

　　1/4 cup small pasta, like elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Fresh parsley sprigs, optional

　　

Step 1

Put the 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and chickpeas and stir well. Pour in enough water to cover the chickpeas, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Cool the mixture slightly if time allows (it’s never a good idea to puree boiling hot mixtures if you can avoid it). Use a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender to puree the mixture. If you are going to refrigerate the soup, do so now. If not, return it to the saucepan and reheat over low heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until nearly tender; drain.

　　

Step 3

Just before serving, stir the pasta into the soup and reheat. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve, drizzled with a little more olive oil.

　　

Lentil and Pasta Soup

Step 4

Add 1/2 cup canned plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices, after the vegetables have softened. Cook for 5 minutes and then substitute 1 cup dried lentils (no need to soak) for the chickpeas. Stir well, add enough water to cover, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta as in step 2 and proceed directly to step 3.

　　

Chunky Chickpea and Pasta Soup

Step 5

Do not puree the soup mixture. Instead, just add the cooked pasta before serving.

　　

Pasta with Chickpeas

Step 6

Add 1/2 cup canned plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices after the vegetables have softened. Cook for 5 minutes and add the cooked chickpeas. Do not add water to cover. Instead, continue stirring and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup short Italian pasta, like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli. Toss the cooked pasta with the chickpea mixture, season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.