From Libellula's Kitchen & Land — Pasta e Ceci

Hearty and filling, pasta e ceci is a traditional winter dish. It originates from the tradition of “cucina povera” cooking, literally meaning “poor cooking.” Cucina povera dishes were created by Italian peasants who could only afford simple ingredients to cook with. These dishes were also often meant to use up ingredients that had started to go bad so as not to let any food go to waste. Another cucina povera dish you’re probably familiar with is bruschetta. Italian peasants would take their several days-old bread, slice it up, and add fresh tomatoes and olive oil. The loaf of bread that...