Pasta and Chickpeas [pasta e ceci]

Serves 2 as a main course

• 3 cups canned chickpeas
• 6 cups water
• 1 whole peeled clove garlic, plus 3 cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped, plus one small sprig
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt [plus more, if needed]
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 rib celery, with leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 ounces tagliatelle or other ribbon pasta, broken
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas. 
2. Combine 2 cups of chickpeas and water in a soup pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
3. Meanwhile, bash whole garlic clove with the side of a knife enough to bruise it and release oils, but not break it up.
4. Add it, the rosemary sprig and sea salt to soup pot. 
5. Mash remaining cup of chickpeas in a bowl with hand masher, adding a little water from the pot to aid in mashing. 
6. Stir mashed chickpeas into the pot.
7. As the chickpea mixture gently boils, heat a skillet over a low. 
8. Add olive oil, pancetta, chopped rosemary and celery and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
9. Add minced garlic to pan and sauté until fragrant, about 45 seconds. 
10. Add tomato paste and about 1/2 cup of broth from the soup pot, stirring to dissolve tomato paste. 
11. Add mixture to soup pot. 
12. Cook for a few minutes to combine flavors. 
13. Discard rosemary sprig and whole garlic clove. Add “broken” pasta(you eat this dish with a spoon, not a fork, so you want the pasta in manageable pieces).
14. Cook until pasta is just barely al dente. Check seasoning—you may need more salt, but with canned chickpeas and tomato paste, the saltiness may vary. Ladle into individual soup bowls and top with a generous helping of freshly ground pepper. Serve with a crusty bread.