Pancetta and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 (16-ounce) can peeled tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 8 ounces fregola pasta (or Israeli couscous)
• Olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Add pancetta; cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add diced onion; cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook about 3 minutes. Blend tomatoes (with juice) with an immersion blender until smooth. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and vegetable broth to onion mixture; bring to a gentle boil. Cook 10 minutes. In a large pan, cook pasta until al dente (1 minute less than package instructions); drain. Add pasta to tomato mixture; ladle into 6 bowls. Serve with a splash of olive oil, chopped parsley, and pepper.