Lagane e Ceci Lucane

Ingredients

• For the chickpeas and broth
• 350 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
• 1 Parmesan rind, optional; adds glutamate depth without altering the flavour profile
• For the lagane dough
• 400 g semola di grano duro rimacinata
• 200 ml water, warm
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the finish
• 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, best available; used raw
• 3 garlic cloves, bruised, skin removed
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
• 1 tsp fine salt, for seasoning the broth

Method

1. 1
   Drain the soaked chickpeas and cover with fresh cold water by at least 8 cm in a large pot. Add the Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the chickpeas are fully tender — soft enough to crush between the fingers without resistance — and the liquid has turned an opaque, starchy pale gold. This may take 1.5–2.5 hours depending on the age of the chickpeas. Reserve all the cooking liquid; it is the broth.
2. 2
   While the chickpeas cook, make the lagane dough. Mound the semola on a clean surface, make a well, and add the warm salted water gradually, working inward from the edges. Knead firmly for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, firm, and no longer sticky — it should feel more resistant than an egg pasta dough. Wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The surface should feel dry and elastic, springing back slowly when pressed.
3. 3
   Roll the rested dough to a thickness of 3–4 mm — noticeably thicker than conventional pasta. Cut into ribbons 4–5 cm wide and roughly 10–12 cm long. Dust lightly with semola and lay flat; do not stack. The cut edges should be firm and slightly rough, not silky.
4. 4
   Return the chickpea broth to a vigorous simmer, thinning with water if necessary so there is ample liquid to absorb into and surround the lagane — the pot should look like a thick, heavily laden soup rather than a sauce. Season the broth with salt. This step is where the dish lives or dies: the lagane must cook directly in the chickpea broth, not in separate salted water. Lower the lagane into the simmering broth in batches and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until the pasta is cooked through but still has clear textural substance — firm at the centre, not floppy. The broth will thicken further as the pasta releases starch; the final consistency should be that of a very thick soup.
5. 5
   Combine the bruised garlic cloves, chilli flakes, and extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Do not heat. Ladle the lagane e ceci into wide bowls, then spoon the raw oil mixture over the surface of each portion immediately. The heat of the dish will warm the oil and open the aromatics. The finish should sit visibly on the surface — a separate, bright layer above the starchy broth. Serve at once, without cheese.