Ciceri e Tria: Puglian Chickpea Pasta

Ciceri e tria is a Puglian chickpea pasta with one brilliant contrast: some pasta is boiled, and some is fried until crisp.

The dish should be earthy and comforting, with chickpeas forming a loose sauce around the pasta.

Why Fried Pasta Matters

The fried tria gives crunch and a toasted flavour that lifts the chickpeas. Without it, the dish becomes pleasant but less memorable.

Use cooked chickpeas with enough of their liquid to make the sauce creamy.

Ingredients for Ciceri e Tria

• 320 g fresh or dried tagliatelle-style pasta
• 450 g cooked chickpeas
• 1 garlic clove
• Bay leaf or rosemary
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Oil for frying
• Salt and black pepper

Boil Some Pasta and Fry Some

1. Cook chickpeas.
   Warm chickpeas with garlic, herbs and some cooking liquid until creamy.
2. Fry tria.
   Fry a handful of pasta strips until golden and crisp.
3. Boil pasta.
   Cook the remaining pasta until tender.
4. Combine.
   Toss boiled pasta with chickpeas and finish with fried tria on top.

Get the Chickpeas Creamy

• Keep cooking liquid.
  It gives the sauce body.
• Do not burn fried pasta.
  Golden is enough.
• Add crunch at the end.
  Fried tria softens if mixed too early.

Serving Ciceri e Tria

Serve warm with black pepper and olive oil. It should be rustic but carefully balanced.

More Puglian Recipes

Continue with Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa, Focaccia Barese.