Chickpea Risoni with Crispy Bacon

If you love all the goodness that chickpeas bring, the energy that pasta powers you up, and the heavenly thoughts that crispy bacon gives you, then you’ll adore this gorgeous Italian chickpea risoni recipe. It’s like a soupy risotto but it’s not rice nor soup! Italiano perfecto.

Serves 5

You need:

250g dried chickpeas

5 rashers of streaky bacon

1 onion, sliced

1 stick of celery, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

2 garlic cloves

Half a leek, sliced

4 sage leaves

2 rosemary sprigs

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

100g pancetta, diced (or bacon or salami)

1.5L vege stock

200g Barilla Risoni Pasta

100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus an extra drizzle for serving, or “plating up” as Gordon Ramsay would yell!

Salt and pepper

How to make Chickpea Risoni:

– Soak your chickpeas overnight in water. Drain and rinse well when ready to start cooking.

– Grill your streaky bacon in a hot 220 deg oven til just crispy then turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave as is.

– Place soaked chickpeas in a pot with half measures of all the vegetables and herbs (leave out the tomatoes and bay leaves).

– Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer til chickpeas are tender.

– Drain cooked chickpeas and set aside. Discard boiled veges.

– In a large pot, cook remaining veges and herbs over a low heat in the olive oil. Add pancetta. Add the cooked chickpeas and tomatoes and bay leag, cover with stock and bring to the boil.

– Simmer 30 minutes, season and then hand blend (Bamix) or put into a food processor to puree to soup of your desired consistency.

– Return chickpea soup to the boil, add the Barilla Risoni and cook 6-8 minutes.

– Serve soup divided between 5 or 6 warmed bowls topped with bits of crispy bacon or pancetta and a drizzle of olive oil.