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Lagane e Ceci (Pasta & Chickpea Soup)

  Lagane e Ceci is a well-known southern Italian dish whose roots stem from ancient times when legumes were the staple ingredients, easily accessible with a very long shelf life.  Chickpeas, beans or lentils were alternated and cooked with hand made pasta, feeding the whole family.  This soup is made with dried chickpeas and hand-made ribbons of eggless pasta, but can also be made with  canned chickpeas which are just as good,  and  a short store-bought pasta like ditaletti. Mamma would make it this way when she was time poor.   We however preferred this soup with home-made pasta, rendering it more creamy. Lagane are believed to be the ancestors of today’s lasagne and the oldest form of pasta. The word lagane , like lasagna , comes from ancient Greece where it was used to describe a pasta made of flour and water, cooked on a stone, and then cut into strips. The Roman statesman  Cicero wrote about his passion for the Laganum  or laganas  and the Roman poet Horace, whose writings a
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Gelo di Anguria (Watermelon Pudding)


I've been meaning to make this desert for a very long time but never got around to it.  It was yesterday's extreme heat that made me crave for a refreshing desert other than ice-cream; one that quenches your thirst and sets you off dreaming about Sicilian sunsets. This chilled watermelon pudding  known in Italian as gelo di melone or gelo di anguria or in dialect, gelu du muluni, is a Sicilian desert from Palermo that carries traces of Arabic flavours through the use of cinnamon, pistachio and cocoa or bitter chocolate topping the watermelon puree. Traditionally, jasmine was left to macerate all night in a cup of water and then mixed through the juice during cooking to add floral tones. I don't own a jasmine plant, so left this ingredient out, however vanilla or even a drop of rosewater would be lovely too. 

I first came across gelo di melone from a lovely book I own titled Seasons of Sicily by Natalia Ravida` and share it with you here.  I have modified the recipe slightly reducing quantities and converting to gram measurements.  The watermelon puree is thickened with corn starch and can be served in glasses or shaped in molds and once set, topped with the remaining ingredients just before serving.  


Gelo di Anguria (Watermelon Pudding)

Serves 4
Ingredients:
500 grams pureed and strained watermelon
30 grams cornstarch
35 grams castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or drop of rosewater

Garnish:
Pistachio, crushed
Dark chocolate, chopped or sprinkle of cocoa powder
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Cut watermelon into pieces and squeeze through a mouli or juicer. Strain the watermelon juice through a sieve to remove any seeds.  In a medium sized pot, mix the corn starch with sugar. Gradually add the juice to the pot while stirring with a whisk to dissolve all sugar and avoiding any lumps and then stir in the vanilla extract. Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously to prevent sticking until it reaches boiling point - about 7 minutes. Turn off heat. The mixture will have a light creamy consistency.

Pour into individual glass bowls and allow to cool. If you use molds, rinsing them with water before pouring in the watermelon will help them easily unmold after chilling. If pouring into glasses, make sure the watermelon has cooled enough to keep the glass from cracking.

Chill in the refrigerator to fully set and just before serving sprinkle with chocolate, pistachio and a dash of cinnamon. Top with a jasmine flower if you have them growing in your garden. This desert is served cold and can keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Enjoy!




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