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1
Place the cicerchie in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least 8 cm. Leave for 24 hours, changing the water twice during that period. Drain and discard all soaking water. The cicerchie are ready to proceed when they have swelled visibly and the soaking water has taken on a murky, slightly greenish cast — a sign the water-soluble compounds are leaving the pulse.
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2
Transfer the drained cicerchie to a large, heavy pot. Cover with fresh cold water by 6 cm — this is the cooking liquid that will become the soup's body; it must be fresh, not the soaking water. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Do not salt at this stage.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies: maintain a quiet, steady simmer — never a rolling boil — for 90 to 120 minutes, replenishing with hot water if the cicerchie surface, until each pulse is completely soft at its centre with no trace of grittiness when pressed between two fingers. Salt added before this point will make the skins leathery and extend cooking unpredictably; under-cooked cicerchie retain a gritty resistance that no subsequent step can correct.
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4
Remove and discard the garlic, bay, and rosemary. Season with fine sea salt. Using a ladle or the back of a spoon, crush a quarter of the cicerchie against the side of the pot and stir them back through the liquid. The broth should turn visibly opaque and thick, coating the ladle with a starchy gloss. If it appears thin, continue to simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes, watching the consistency — the soup will tighten further in the bowl.
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5
Remove from the heat. Stir in the crumbled peperoncino. Ladle into warmed bowls at the thinner end of the desired consistency. Finish each portion with a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil and a scattering of crumbled aged Pecorino Abruzzese. The cheese should begin to soften at the edges but hold its crumble — it is ready to serve the moment it meets the hot soup.