Ditalini with Chickpeas and Garlic-Rosemary Oil

Name: Ditalini with Chickpeas and Garlic-Rosemary Oil
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1 medium onion, quartered; 1 1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into 1" pieces; 1 1 celery stalk, cut into 1" pieces; 1 6 garlic cloves, 4 whole, 2 chopped; 1 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 cup olive oil, divided; 1 Kosher salt; 1 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed; 1 1 pound ditalini or elbow macaroni; 1 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

From the kitchen of Carly

Tender ditalini pasta cradles creamy chickpeas in a deeply savory broth built from caramelized vegetables and tomato paste. Finish with a garlicky rosemary oil that adds bright, herbaceous heat. Simple, satisfying, and endlessly customizable.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

11 medium onion, quartered
11 medium carrot, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
11 celery stalk, cut into 1" pieces
16 garlic cloves, 4 whole, 2 chopped
11/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
11/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
11/2 cup olive oil, divided
1Kosher salt
12 tablespoons tomato paste
12 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
11 pound ditalini or elbow macaroni
11 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

Pulse onion, carrot, celery, whole garlic cloves, parsley, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor bowl and set aside.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add reserved vegetable mixture, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Stir tomato paste and 1 cup water in a small bowl to combine; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 5-8 minutes.
Add chickpeas and 2 cups water to pot and simmer for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Transfer 1 cup chickpea mixture to food processor; purée until smooth, then stir back into sauce to thicken.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce and stir to coat. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; add chopped garlic and rosemary and cook until sizzling stops, about 1 minute. Divide pasta among bowls and drizzle with garlic-rosemary oil.