Sagne e Ceci
- Mar 1
- 2 min read
by Sabbia's World
The Rustic Abruzzese Pasta That Warms the Soul
There are dishes born from abundance.
And then there are dishes born from wisdom.
Sagne e Ceci belongs to the second.
In Abruzzo, where mountains meet the Adriatic, and winters can be sharp, families learned how to cook with what they had. Flour. Chickpeas. Olive oil. Garlic.
Nonna Sabbia called it “la pasta della casa” — the house pasta. Not for guests. Not for celebration. But for comfort.
And comfort, in Abruzzo, is sacred.
What is Sagne e Ceci?
Sagne e Ceci is a traditional Abruzzese pasta made with:
Handmade strips of eggless pasta (sagne)
Chickpeas (ceci)
Garlic
Olive oil
Tomato (optional, depending on the village)
Unlike Pasta alla Chitarra, sagne is rustic and irregularly cut into short, uneven ribbons. No perfection. Just honesty. It is a dish that tells the story of rural life.
From Nonna Sabbia’s Table
Nonna would soak dried chickpeas overnight in a clay bowl.
The next morning, the house would smell of simmering legumes and olive oil. She would roll out simple flour-and-water dough, cut it into rough strips, and drop them gently into the pot.
No measuring.No rush.
She taught Mamma Maria the same way she learned — by repetition.
“Food must nourish more than the body,” she would say.
Mamma Maria’s Lesson
Mamma Maria made Sagne e Ceci on cold days. It was the dish she cooked when money was tight. When meat was scarce.When the mountains felt heavy.
And yet, it never felt like a sacrifice. It felt like resilience.
Now in My Kitchen
Today, I make Sagne e Ceci the same way.
I show my son how to roll the dough.I let him cut the strips unevenly.I tell him that in Abruzzo, beauty is not perfection — it is character.
And when my grandchildren ask why it tastes different from restaurant pasta, I tell them:
Because this is food with memory.
🧄 Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the Sagne:
300g semolina flour
Warm water
A pinch of salt
For the Ceci:
250g dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) or 2 cans
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
400g crushed tomatoes (optional, traditional variation)
Fresh rosemary
Salt & black pepper
👩🏻🍳 How to Make It
1. Cook the Chickpeas
Simmer soaked chickpeas in water with rosemary until tender (about 1–1.5 hours).If using canned, rinse and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare the Sagne
Mix flour, salt, and warm water. Knead until smooth. Roll thin and cut into irregular short ribbons.
3. Build the Flavor
In a pot, heat olive oil and gently sauté garlic. Add tomatoes (if using). Add chickpeas with some of their cooking liquid.
4. Cook Together
Add fresh sagne directly into the pot. Simmer until pasta is tender and sauce thickens.
Finish with olive oil and cracked pepper.
Why Sagne e Ceci Matters
It is: Vegetarian✔ Humble✔ Nourishing✔ Deeply Abruzzese✔
It is not flashy. It does not try to impress. It simply feeds.
From Nonna Sabbia…To Mamma Maria…To me…To anyone who wants to understand Abruzzo through its simplest dishes.
Welcome to Sabbia’s World.
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