How to Make Pasta with Chickpeas and Saffron!

Is saffron a spice you use? It has the power to turn humble ingredients into something truly special. In this video, Alerminda and her best friend Rosella show how to prepare saffron and use it in a traditional dish with sagnarelle and gnocchetti pasta, served with chickpeas.

They live in Navelli, where saffron is harvested each October—so if you’d like to experience it fresh, Abruzzo is the place to be! A big thank you to everyone in Navelli who helped make this video possible.

For the recipe, you can halve the pasta dough quantities: 250 g “00” flour, 250 g semola rimacinata, 2 eggs, and about 120 ml of water. Alternatively, omit the eggs and use 250 ml of water.

For the chickpeas: use 500 g cooked chickpeas (good-quality tinned or jarred ones work well). Prepare a tomato sauce with onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary, and either about 750 g fresh tomatoes or a bottle of passata. Adding a parmesan rind is optional.

To serve, use a pinch of saffron threads soaked in a little pasta water. Remember—more isn’t better; too much saffron can overpower the dish and give it an iodine-like taste.