Ciceri e Tria is a traditional Pugliese pasta. It’s one of our favourite vegetarian and vegan dishes popularized in kitchens across Southern Italy.
The simple pasta dish is famous for its unique cooking method. Fresh pasta is cooked using two methods: boiling in salted water and frying in hot oil.
The combination of tender boiled pasta and crispy fried pasta gives Ciceri e Tria it’s unique mouthfeel.
Our healthy Pugliese pasta recipe features affordable ingredients like olive oil, fresh pasta, onion, chickpeas, bay leaf and parsley.
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What Is Ciceri e Tria?
Ciceri e Tria is a speciality pasta dish that originated in Puglia, southern Italy. It is a part of the cuisine in the Salento region, sometimes described as the “heel” of the Italian “boot.” Culinary historians consider it an emblematic dish of Salentine cuisine.
Ciceri means “chickpeas” in Latin. Tria, meaning “pasta” or “noodle,” derives from an Arabic word for pasta. Tria can also refer to tagliatelle, a traditional pasta, the term being from the dialect of Apulia (Puglia).
The vegan and vegetarian friendly recipe is prepared with fresh pasta and chickpeas as primary ingredients. The dish also uniquely includes crispy fried pasta. which is sprinkled on top before serving.
Some versions of the popular Pugliese pasta may have a significant amount of broth and appear almost like a soup, which is eaten using a spoon. Some of the pasta (approximately one-third to a half) is fried in olive oil as part of its preparation, while the rest of it is boiled.
This gives the dish a unique dichotomy of textures featuring both soft boiled noodles and crunchy fried pasta. The use of fried pasta was originally performed to create a quality of meatiness in the dish during times of meat scarcity. The fried noodles take on a delicious umami flavour, making this Pugliese dish one of the best vegan pasta recipes.
Additional ingredients you may find in traditional Ciceri e Tria include onion, carrot, celery and garlic. It is often seasoned with black pepper, bay leaf and parsley.
Types Of Pugliese Pasta
Pasta varieties are vastly different as you eat your way around Italy.
In the north, chickens are easier to keep and eggs are more plentiful, making fresh egg pasta far more common. Historically in the south of Italy, using eggs in pasta was seen as a luxury that many could not afford: fresh pasta was strictly reserved for Sundays and special occasions.
The people of Puglia and surrounding regions in the south made their pasta dough with a simple combination of flour and water, and relied of the abundance of good wheat and fresh produce to add flavour.
Puglia is home to many differents unique pasta shapes and dishes. Some local pastas, like orecchiette and cavatelli, have gained widespread popularity around the world, but there are plenty of others to discover as well.
Our favourite regional Puglian pasta dish is of course Ciceri e Tria!
Pugliese Pasta Varieties
- Orecchiette
- Troccoli
- Cavatelli
- Sagne
- Capunti
- Stacchiodde
- Curti
- Gruessi
Travel to Italy by Cooking Ciceri e Tria at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, Malta and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to Italy is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano, Montalcino, Siena) are unique from what you’d find in Venice, Modena, Milan, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
Ciceri e Tria is a dish unique to Puglia so if you’re visiting the region on vacation be sure to order this famous pasta recipe at a local restaurant.
Once back home from a Southern Italian holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of Puglia and can impress friends and family by making our authentic Ciceri e Tria recipe at home!
Where To Eat Pugliese Pasta
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Italian restaurant that serves Pugliese pasta.
Haven’t traveled to Italy before? It may be helpful to first sample Ciceri e Tria at a local Italian restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can also assess the ideal boiled pasta to fried pasta ratio, amount of liquid to serve with the noodles and complimentary side dishes to offer at the table.
In Toronto, popular Italian restaurants in Yorkville, King West and Ossington that may serve authentic Ciceri e Tria include: Buca, Superpoint, Amano, Fabbrica, Oretta, FIGO, Nodo, Locale Mercatto, The Good Son, Taverna Mercatto, Ascari Enoteca, Il Fornello, Gusto 101 or Bar Vendetta.
My Family Loves Ciceri e Tria Pugliese Pasta
I love cooking regional Italian dishes for my family and friends.
I first made this traditional Pugliese pasta on a cold winter day at our family cottage in Muskoka. With a blizzard outside I kept cozy inside, frying noodles and sipping wine while stirring tender chickpeas together with al dente fettucine.
I knew my family would enjoy this easy Ciceri e Tria recipe because they love chickpeas, pasta and exploring new healthy vegan and vegetarian options at dinner.
After placing steaming bowls of this Pugliese pasta on the table everyone smiled with glee after their first bites. They loved the textural contrasts of Ciceri e Tria. Forking through slippery fettuccine while simultaneously biting crunchy crispy fried noodles.
This Pugliese pasta is now my go to recipe whenever I have vegetarian or vegan friends coming over for dinner.
Health Benefits
This simple vegan Pugliese pasta recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Chickpeas are rich in cancer-fighting vitamin C, energy-boosting B vitamins, and gut-healthy fibre.
An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.
Whole wheat flour is rich in vitamins B-1, B-3, and B-5, along with riboflavin and folate. It also has more iron, calcium, protein, and other nutrients than white flour.
Ciceri e Tria Recipe Cooking Tips
This homemade Ciceri e Tria recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- Use a large pot or Dutch Oven to fry the noodles as it helps to avoid the splatter of oil on your stove when cooking.
- If you’re preparing this dish for vegans be sure to purchase an egg-free fresh pasta. Vegetarians can enjoy the recipe with an egg-based pasta.
- We like to use fettuccine when making Ciceri e Tria but you can use any long and broad pasta noodle like linguine or tagliatelle.
- We like to use dried bay leaf to flavour the dish but you can use other aromatics like rosemary or sage if you prefer.
- We’ve garnished the dish simply with fresh parsley but if you’re a cheese lover you can also sprinkle the noodles with grated parmesan or pecorino.
- We suggest serving the pasta with an Italian dry white wine.
What To Serve With Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
There’s nothing more comforting than cozying up to a bowl of homemade Ciceri e Tria.
This healthy dish is also hearty so we often serve it on its own for a simple lunch or dinner with a glass of chilled white wine.
For a more substantial meal pair the pasta with a fresh salad like Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad, Roasted Beetroot Salad, Garlic Lemon Chickpea Avocado Salad and Fennel, Apple, Celery and Roasted Hazelnut Salad.
If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party we suggest serving this Pugliese pasta as part of a decadent buffet including other popular recipes like:
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini
- Lumache Rigate Snail Pasta with Garlic Butter
- Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta with Ricotta and Mint
- Mafalda Pasta Noodles
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Gorgonzola Risotto al Radicchio
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Cheesy Polenta
- Involtini di Pollo
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
Other Vegan Recipes You May Enjoy…
- Acar Timun Indonesian Cucumber Pickles
- Vegan Gluten Free Polenta Eggless Lemon Cake
- Balila Healthy Vegan Lebanese Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Crispy Oven Roasted Cypriot Cyprus Potatoes
- Vegan Peruvian Quinoa Chaufa
- Mdardara Lebanese Caramelized Onion Lentil Rice
- Tofu Meatballs in Creamy Vegan Korma Curry Sauce
- Japanese Vegan Miso Soba Noodles
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Warm Indian Vegan Sprouted Mung Bean Salad
- Crispy Vegan Pan Fried Korean Tofu
- Vegan Spicy Crispy Roasted Harissa Potatoes
- Vegan One Pot Indian Thakkali Tomato Biryani
How To Make Traditional Ciceri e Tria
Ciceri e Tria Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- French knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 9 oz Fresh Fettuccine cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 Spanish Onion chopped
- 15 oz Canned Chickpeas drained
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine the olive oil and 1/3 of the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is crisp and dark browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- To the oil remaining in the pot, add the chopped onion and cook while stirring for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the chickpeas and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas darken slightly and the bay leaf is toasted, 2-4 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining pasta, 3/4 cup of chickpea liquid, 2 1/4 cups water, 2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is heated through and slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, then remove and discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon pasta chickpea mixture into bowls, garnish with crispy fried pasta and chopped parsley.
Nutrition
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