Pasta With Chick Peas Recipe

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, set aside. In a large pot, sauté onion, pancetta and garlic in olive oil until golden about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, parsley, broth, bay leaves, salt to taste and crushed red pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add cooked ditalini to the pot and stir. Cook for another 7 minutes on low. This should be fairly thick (a little thicker than soup). Add extra broth as needed. Transfer to a deep serving bowl and top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with good Italian bread. Yield: serves 4