Chickpeas deserve more love in Italian kitchens. Sure, they get lots of attention from our Mediterranean diet brethren, most notably in hummus, but there’s just not a lot of recognition given to the “ceci” on Italian menus and tables.
We at Appetito hope to change that by championing the ceci on a regular basis. No, we are not part of some Chickpea Industrial Complex (though that would be cool); we heart ceci because they are full of nutrients, including high doses of zinc, which boosts immunity and fights inflammation. They are also super low-calorie, packed with protein (11 grams in one cup), damn filling and full of fiber (35 grams in a cup). Oh, and they are delicious and economical as well.
When I lived in the hills south of Florence, the local bakery roasted ceci every Friday night. I adapted this custom to a scene in my novel Cucina Tipica: An Italian Adventure, to which Chef Cara DiFalco dedicated an episode of her Emmy-nominated show, Cara's Cucina.
Her recipe and episode can be found here.
Here's how I get my ceci on:
Roasted Chickpeas (Ceci al Forno)
4
servings10
minutes45
minutesIngredients
2 cans 2 ceci beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
3 cloves 3 garlic, minced
1/2 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
zest of one lemon
3 sprigs 3 fresh rosemary, chopped
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
juice from the zested lemon
3/4 cup 3/4 extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In a baking dish or tray, combine beans, onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Mix well.
- Pour olive oil over the beans.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and squeeze lemon over top before serving.
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