🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Lagane e Ceci
Lagane e Ceci
One of Italy's oldest known pasta shapes, wide flat noodles paired here with chickpeas in a simple, rosemary-scented broth, a dish said to predate even ancient Roman cuisine.
Lagane is believed to be a direct ancestor of the word 'lasagna,' with references dating back to Roman times, and its pairing with chickpeas remains a defining dish of Basilicata's rustic, ancient culinary tradition.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Large pot
- 300 g (2¼ cups) durum wheat flour
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) warm water
- Pinch of salt
- 300 g (1½ cups) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 dried chili, crumbled
- 1.2 L (5 cups) water or vegetable stock
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Combine the flour, water, and salt into a firm dough, kneading until smooth. Rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Drain the soaked chickpeas and simmer in fresh water until tender, about 1 hour; reserve the cooking liquid.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, garlic, rosemary, and chili until fragrant.
- Add the cooked chickpeas along with enough of their cooking liquid (or stock) to make a brothy consistency, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mash a portion of the chickpeas against the side of the pot to thicken the broth slightly.
- Roll the pasta dough out thin and cut into wide, irregular ribbons.
- Add the fresh pasta directly to the simmering chickpea broth and cook for 3–4 minutes until tender.
- Season to taste and serve hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Chef Tips
- Reserving and using the chickpea cooking liquid gives the dish far more depth than starting with plain water.
- Mashing some of the chickpeas thickens the broth naturally without needing any flour or cream.
- This dish is meant to be brothy and comforting rather than a typical saucy pasta.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Discarding the chickpea cooking liquid, missing a key source of flavor.
- Making the pasta too thick, which takes longer to cook and can throw off the dish's balance.
- Serving it too dry — lagane e ceci should have plenty of brothy liquid.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Rich in plant-based protein and fiber from the chickpeas.
Cultural Note
Lagane e ceci is considered one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italy, with linguistic and historical roots tracing back to Roman times, and remains a defining dish of Basilicata.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days; thickens further as it sits.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding water to loosen as needed.
Serve with: Crusty bread, A drizzle of good olive oil at the table