Cacciucco de Ceci - Tuscan Tomato Chickpea Stew with Italian Sausage

 Cacciucco de ceci is a rustic chickpea and chard stew from Tuscany. It is the perfect example of "cocina povera," or poor kitchen, where simple, low-cost ingredients are expertly combined to make an inexpensive yet nutritious meal. It is typically served without meat but this recipe adds Italian sausage for a little richness. Since this is a mostly meat-free blog, we used vegetarian sausages (see notes). This was a perfect weeknight meal on a cold, December night and will no doubt be added to the rotation. Made with canned garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas or ceci in Italian) and tomatoes, the dish comes together quickly. Additional ingredients (carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, bell pepper, etc.) can easily be included. Serve with warm, crusty bread. 

Notes:

• For vegetarian Italian sausage, Field Roast is my favorite but I've also used Trader Joes.
• Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the liquid from the canned garbanzo beans to add to the recipe.
• Optional anchovy fillets add some umami.

Cacciucco de Ceci - Tuscan Tomato Chickpea Stew with Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

• 
  Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
• Italian sausage - 2 sausages crumbled
• Yellow onion - 1 medium, diced
• Swiss chard - 1 large bunch, stems removed and chopped, leaves cut crosswise into 1 inch ribbons, stored separately
• Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced
• Red pepper flakes - 1/4 teaspoon
• Whole peeled tomatoes - 1 28 ounce can, crushed by hand (San Marzano preferred)
• Chickpeas - 2 15 ounce cans, 1 cup of liquid from draining reserved
• Parmesan cheese - finely grated for serving
• Salt and ground pepper
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
• Anchovy fillets - 2-3 (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the hand crumbled Italian sausage  and cook, occasionally stirring until it begins to brown about 5 minutes. Add the onion, chard stems, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with the juices breaking up the whole tomatoes by hand. Add reserved garbanzo bean liquid, 1 cup of water (or broth), and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. If using vegetarian sausage, you can add a pat of butter to impart some fat.
3. Stir in the chard leaves and cook until leaves are softened, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan. 

Serves 4