The Real Roman Pasta e Ceci with Anchovy and Rosemary

If using dried chickpeas: drain the soaked chickpeas, cover with fresh cold water in a large pot and simmer over medium heat for 1-1.5 hours until tender. Reserve all the cooking liquid. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse; proceed directly to step 2.

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 3 tbsp (45 ml) of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the anchovy fillets and stir constantly for 30-45 seconds until they fully dissolve into the oil. You should see no flakes — only faintly tan-tinted oil.

Add the crushed garlic and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

Strip the rosemary leaves from the sprig, chop finely, and add to the pot. Stir for 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes or passata. Crush any whole pieces with a spoon. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until slightly darkened.

Add the cooked chickpeas with 1 litre of their cooking liquid (or the drained canned chickpeas with 1 litre of water or light stock). Season generously with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10-15 minutes to let the flavors integrate.

Scoop out roughly one-third of the chickpeas (about 200g) into a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Blitz to a smooth paste and stir back in. The broth will thicken and turn opaque.

Add the remaining 200 ml water or stock and bring to a steady boil. Taste for salt — it should be well-seasoned before the pasta goes in.

Add the pasta. Cook, stirring frequently, for the time shown on the packet (usually 8-11 minutes). The broth thickens considerably as starch is released. If it tightens too fast, add a splash of hot water — the final consistency should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable.

Remove from heat and rest 1 minute — it will thicken further. Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle each with a generous amount of raw olive oil, and scatter over plenty of grated pecorino romano. Serve immediately.