Italian Chickpea Soup with Pasta is a hearty, flavorful one-pot meal that’s easy to make and packed with wholesome ingredients. With tender pasta and nutty chickpeas, it’s perfect for cozy dinners, family meals, or a taste of rustic Italian cooking in your own home!
This is the soup that my mother-in-law (in Central Italy) makes the whole year-round.
Some people might consider it a cold-weather soup, but not in her house. She makes it at least twice a week, sometimes adding arborio rice. But most of the time, she adds these small bits of square semolina pasta.
You’re thinking you don’t have that kind of pasta? Not a problem, just use the smallest pasta that you can find. Or, you can break some of the long ones into tiny pieces. 🙂
I’m telling you — this soup will be a regular in your house too!
Jump to:
Why this Italian soup is a keeper!
- Wholesome and nourishing. Packed with protein-rich chickpeas and simple, healthy ingredients.
- Authentic Italian flavor. Using only a handful of ingredients and with an herb, it goes to the core of Italian home cooking.
- Family favorite. Satisfying, budget-friendly, and ideal for weeknight dinners or weekends.
Ingredients
(See the recipe card below for measurements.)
- Chickpeas – canned chickpeas are great for making this Italian soup recipe; make sure you rinse and drain them.
- Pasta – go for the smallest type of pasta that you have; the idea is you will have a mix of pasta and chickpeas in every spoonful of this soup.
- Olive oil – extra-virgin olive oil, if possible.
- Garlic – keep them whole but remove the peel. It makes it easier to pick them up before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Tomato paste – to have that bit of color and the hint of tomato flavor.
- Stock – I generally use vegetable stock when making chickpea soup.
- Herb and seasoning – rosemary, salt, and ground black pepper.
How to make Italian chickpea soup
Start by heating the olive oil in a medium to large saucepan — place it over medium-high heat.
Once it’s ready, add the garlic and rosemary.
Sauté until the garlic starts getting fragrant and you see its edges browning.
Add the tomato sauce and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes.
Remove the pieces of garlic and add the rinsed chickpeas.
Pour the stock, cover, and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for at least ten minutes — keep the cover on.
Add the pasta and continue simmering until it is cooked.
Taste, season with salt and pepper, and remove the sprigs of rosemary.
Place the cover back on and take the saucepan off the heat.
Transfer your Italian chickpea soup into bowls and serve!
Helpful tips
- If you prefer to keep the garlic in the soup, you can also grate or mince it, then proceed with the usual sauteing with the rosemary.
- Use chicken stock if you don’t want to keep it vegetarian.
- For an easy pasta alternative, break your usual spaghetti pasta into small pieces — no special equipment needed, just use your hands.
- Feel free to use dried chickpeas, if that’s what you want. But do the soaking overnight, and cooking of the chickpeas before adding and simmering them with the rest of the ingredients for this Italian soup.
Serving suggestions
This hearty and comforting soup pairs beautifully with other classic Italian dishes from the blog.
Whether you’re planning for a cozy weeknight dinner or a relaxed weekend meal, these dishes will complete the experience perfectly:
Serve freshly baked basil focaccia alongside a bowl of Italian chickpea soup for an authentic taste of Italian home cooking.
The focaccia’s fragrant basil and soft, olive oil-rich top perfectly complement the hearty, savory flavors of the soup. So go ahead and tear off pieces to dip into the soup!
Pairing ‘pollo alla Romana‘ with Italian chickpea soup creates a delicious meal inspired by the flavors of central Italy.
The tender chicken, simmered with tomatoes and peppers, adds richness to the nutty soup.
Italian Orange and Carrot Cake
End your meal on a bright and refreshing note by serving Italian orange and carrot cake after a comforting bowl of chickpea soup with pasta.
Moist, fragrant, and subtly sweet, this simple cake makes the perfect dessert to round off a cozy, home-cooked dinner.
So, if you’re craving a cozy, hearty bowl that’s ready in no time, this Italian chickpea soup with pasta is it.
Give it a try and bring a taste of rustic Italy to your own kitchen — one comforting spoonful at a time!
More Italian recipes
When it comes to showcasing the essence of Italian home cooking, this chickpea soup with pasta hits all the marks. Simple ingredients, rustic, and rooted in tradition.
It’s an accurate representation of Italian cuisine, just like these classic Italian dishes:
A perfect example of how Italian cuisine transforms simple ingredients into unforgettable flavors.
With just fresh clams, olive oil, garlic, white wine, and parsley, spaghetti alle vongole captures the essence of coastal Italy — light, aromatic, and full of depth.
Sometimes called ‘guanciale pasta,’ it is a dish that perfectly captures the rustic heart of Italian cuisine — simple, hearty, and intensely flavorful.
Made with just a few humble ingredients like guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper, this traditional Roman dish showcases the rustic beauty of Italian cooking.
The classic, unsalted Tuscan Bread perfectly reflects the traditional roots of Italian cuisine. Created initially when salt was scarce in the region, this iconic bread uses only flour, water, and yeast — a true symbol of resourceful Tuscan cooking.
Its mild flavor and texture make it the ideal companion for olive oil, soups, and cured meats, showcasing Italy’s timeless respect for tradition.
GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF SOUPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!
📖 Recipe
Italian Chickpea Soup Recipe (with Pasta)
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with lid
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
- 1 to 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 to 2 & 1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup dried pasta
- 3 & 1/2 to 4 cups stock
- salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Place a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- Once the oil is ready, add the garlic and rosemary.
- Sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant and you see its edges browning.
- Add the tomato sauce and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the browned garlic and add the chickpeas.
- Pour the stock, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for at least ten minutes — keep the cover on.
- Add the pasta and continue simmering until it's cooked.
- Taste, season with salt and pepper, and get rid of the rosemary sprigs.
- Place the cover back on and take your Italian chickpea soup off the heat.
- Transfer into bowls and serve!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: If you don’t want to keep it vegetarian, chicken stock is an excellent alternative to vegetable stock.
- Refer to the post for more tips and suggestions.
Leave a Reply