''Ciceri e tria'' () is a

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...

dish originating in the

Salento Salento (Salentino: ''Salentu'', Salentino Griko: ''Σαλέντο'') is a cultural, historical and geographic region at the southern end of the administrative region of Apulia in Southern Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula, ...

region. It is prepared with pasta and chickpeas as primary ingredients, and includes fried pasta. It has been described as a "classic and emblematic dish of Salentine cuisine" and as a specialty dish of Apulia.

Etymology

''Ciceri'' means 'chickpeas' in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. ''Tria'', meaning 'pasta' or 'noodle', derives from an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

word for pasta, , ' (from the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...

طرو, ''ṭ-r-w'', or طري, ''ṭ-r-y'', 'to be fresh, moist, tender'). It means 'pasta' in the

Genoese dialect Genoese, locally called or , is the main Ligurian dialect, spoken in and around the Italian city of Genoa, the capital of Liguria, in Northern Italy. A majority of remaining speakers of Genoese are elderly. Several associations are dedicated ...

. ''Tria'' is the name for a local ribbon shaped pasta, much less known than

orecchiette Orecchiette (; singular ; ) are a pasta typical of Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear. Description An orecchietta has the shape of a small dome, with its center thinner than its e ...

or ''

cavatelli Cavatelli ( , also , ; literally "little hollows") are small pasta shells made from semolina or other flour dough, that resemble miniature hot dog buns, commonly cooked with garlic and broccoli or broccoli rabe, or simply with tomato sauce. A ...

'' but equally treasured by the Pugliesi. Made from semolina flour and water, ''tria'' is often translated as '

tagliatelle Tagliatelle (; from the Italian ''tagliare'', meaning "to cut") are a traditional type of pasta from the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of Italy. Individual pieces of ''tagliatelle'' are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettucci ...

', but they are actually quite different.

Ingredients and preparation

Pasta and chickpeas are the primary ingredients in ''ciceri e tria''. Some versions of the dish may have a significant amount of broth, which may be eaten using a spoon. Some of the pasta (from one-third to one-half) is fried in oil as part of its preparation, while the rest of it is boiled. The use of fried pasta was originally performed to create a quality or mouthfeel of meatiness in the dish during times of meat scarcity. The fried pasta may also add crunchiness to the dish. Apulian versions may involve the chickpeas being simmered over a low heat while fresh pasta is being prepared. Dried/uncooked chickpeas may be soaked one day prior to preparation of the dish. Additional ingredients may include

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

, carrot,

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, ...

and garlic. It may be seasoned with black pepper. It has been described as having a bacon-like flavor. It may be served as a

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.List of pasta There are many different varieties of pasta. They are usually sorted by size, being long (''pasta lunga''), short (''pasta corta''), stuffed (''ripiena''), cooked in broth (''pastina''), stretched (''strascinati'') or in dumpling-like form (''gno ...

List of pasta dishes Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, with the first reference dating to 1154 in Sicily. It is also commonly used to refer to the variety of pasta dishes. Pasta is typically a noodle traditionally made from an unleavened d ...

* List of legume dishes * ''

Pasta e ceci Pasta e ceci is a dish common in Southern and Central Italy. It is made with pasta and chickpeas. It is part of the ''cucina povera'', or peasant cuisine tradition in Italian cuisine. History The dish has ancient origins, and was mentioned ...

References

Sources

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Etymology

Ingredients and preparation

References

Sources

Further reading