Tuscan Chickpea and Pasta Soup (Striscia coi Ceci)

Gabriele Borgianni, chef/owner at Trattoria Bel Mi’ Colle in Colle Val d'Elsa, Italy, showed us how to cook the Tuscan chickpea and pasta soup called striscia coi ceci, which translates as “strips with chickpeas.” He prefers the taste and texture created by pureeing some of the ingredients, which produces a soup that is especially rich and creamy. It's the perfect contrast to linguine-like pasta that is broken into pieces, toasted and cooked directly in the soup. We loved the flavors but wanted to lighten the dish, so we opt for more delicate capellini. Toasting the pasta prior to simmering it directly in the soup brings out nutty, wheaty notes. If you have spaghetti, it will work, but skip larger pasta shapes, such as shells or thick strands like fettuccine, as they will make the soup too heavy and starchy.