Ciceri e tria

Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Salento
Main ingredients	chickpeas, fried pasta

Ciceri e tria (Italian: [ˈtʃiːtʃeri e tˈtriːa]) is a pasta dish in Italian cuisine that originated in Apulia. It is a part of the cuisine in the Salento region of Italy. It is prepared with pasta and chickpeas as primary ingredients, and includes fried pasta. The dish may be served as a primo piatto dish, a ‘first course’ dish. It has been described as a "classic and emblematic dish of Salentine cuisine"^[1] and as a specialty dish of Apulia.^[2]

Origin

Ciceri e tria has been stated to have originated in the Salento region of Italy (which is within the region of Apulia), where it is a common dish.^[1]

Etymology

Ciceri means "chickpeas" in Latin.^[3] Tria, meaning "pasta" or "noodle", derives from an Arabic word for pasta, إطرية iṭriyah (from the root طرو ṭ-r-w or طري ṭ-r-y 'to be fresh, moist, tender').^[4] It means "pasta" in the Genoese dialect.^[5][3] "Tria" can also refer to tagliatelle, a traditional pasta, the term being from the dialect of Apulia.^[6] Tria can also refer to a type of pasta in Sicily.^[7] Tria is an old word that is still used in many areas of Southern Italy, particularly in Sicily.^[7]

Ingredients and preparation

Pasta and chickpeas are the primary ingredients in Ciceri e tria.^[1][3] Some versions of the dish may have a significant amount of broth, which may be eaten using a spoon.^[1] 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.^[1][3] The use of fried pasta was originally performed to create a quality or mouthfeel of meatiness in the dish during times of meat scarcity.^[1] The fried pasta may also add crunchiness to the dish.^[1] Apulian versions may involve the chickpeas being simmered over a low heat while fresh pasta is being prepared.^[3] Dried/uncooked chickpeas may be soaked one day prior to preparation of the dish.^[3][5] Additional ingredients may include onion, carrot, celery and garlic.^[3] It may be seasoned with black pepper.^[3] It has been described as having a bacon-like flavor.^[5] It may be served as a side dish with bread or rice.^[1]

Service

In Apulia, the dish is a common primi piatti dish,^[7] which is a first course of pasta. In the Italian formal meal structure, a first course is referred to as primo, and typically consists of hot food.