Pasta e ceci facts for kids
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| Region or state | Basilicata |
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Pasta e ceci is a yummy and simple dish from Southern and Central Italy. It's made with two main ingredients: pasta and chickpeas. This dish is part of a cooking style called cucina povera, which means "poor kitchen" or "peasant cooking." It uses simple, affordable ingredients that were common for everyday people long ago.
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A Really Old Recipe
This dish has a very long history! People have been eating pasta and chickpeas together for thousands of years. A famous Roman poet named Horace even wrote about a similar dish in his poems called Satires. This shows that people enjoyed this simple meal even in ancient Roman times.
Different Ways to Make It
Pasta e ceci is popular in many parts of Italy, and each region might have its own special way of making it.
Basilicata's "Brigand Dish"
In the Basilicata region, this dish is sometimes called "piatto del brigante." This means "the dish of the brigand." Brigands were like outlaws or rebels in the 1800s. People believed this was their favorite meal because it was hearty and easy to make with simple ingredients.
Campania's Special Pasta
In the Campania region, especially around Salerno and Cilento, this dish is also very popular. In both Basilicata and Campania, people often make it with a type of pasta called lagane. This pasta is similar to tagliatelle, which are long, flat noodles. The poet Horace even mentioned Lagàne e ceci in his writings!
Rome's Anchovy Twist
The version of Pasta e ceci made in Rome has a unique ingredient: anchovies. These small, salty fish add a special flavor to the dish.
Puglia's Fried Pasta
In the Puglia region, this dish is known as ciceri e tria. It's a very important dish in the local cuisine of Salento. The Italian government even recognizes it as a traditional Apulian product! A special thing about the Puglia recipe is that some of the pasta is fried until it's crispy. Then, it's added back into the dish with the chickpeas, giving it a fun texture.
