Zuppa di Vongole e Ceci Ligure
Liguria — coastal towns, Friday and Lenten tradition
Ligurian soup of clams and chickpeas — a combination that appears throughout the Ligurian coast as a lean, flavourful Friday dish. The chickpeas are cooked separately from dried until tender, then combined with clams (vongole veraci) that open in white wine in a separate pan. The two components are brought together in a base of olive oil, garlic, tomato, and parsley. The chickpea cooking liquid is used as the broth — it provides the sweet, starchy body that the clam liquor sharpens with its brine. A final pour of raw olive oil finishes the bowl.