This is an old favorite, very simple, basic and full of flavor. It’s a poor dish, very popular across the peninsula. Chickpeas are on of my favorite legumes (with Borlotti Beans) and I always feel lucky when I find them fresh. The recipe works even with the dry one, just put them in cold water for at least 24 hours with a teaspoon of baking soda (helps soften the dry legumes and make them easier to cook). Let’s assume you have the fresh one (with the dry ones the cooking time will be much longer, so if you plan on doing this with the dry ones, allow extra time for the cooking, that could go up to 2-3 hours). The fresh ones take 30-40 minutes to cook. Very easy, doses are done “by eye”. I always use a terra-cotta pot, reminds me of Italy, food done slowly and winter.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs circa Chickpeas
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Rosemary
• A small slice of guanciale (or the hard skin of cured prosciutto, or bacon)

Put the pot on the stove, use something to “cut the flame”, always be gentle with terra-cotta. Add the oil, the peeled garlic and the guanciale. Let them go till the garlic gets golden and the guanciale release some of the fat. While doing this, bring a pot of water to boil. When the garlic is ready, add the chickpeas, the rosemary and some salt and pepper to the pot, stir for 5 minutes then add the boiling water from the separate pot, till the water covers double the amount of chickpeas.  Done, cover with the lid, lower the flame and wait. Taste one of the chickpea, when ready, let them sit for 10 minutes before serving. While bringing it to the table, add some fresh EVOO to each dish. Buon appetite.

If you want the soup to be creamy, blend it with a Minipimer will if gets to the desired creaminess.