One of our favorite treats from our recent travels through Italy is a humble but delicious dish that’s easy to master, simple to make, and totally vegan (but trust us, even a carnivore will love it). It’s called “farinata” and is made with just chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil. That’s it!
When baked it becomes crispy and incredibly yummy (almost addictive)—plus, you can do a bunch of creative things with it, from “farinata pizza” to stuffing it with meat and cheese.
If you want to learn more about farinata and different ways you can serve it, check out our video below!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
FARINATA RECIPE
Makes: One 12-inch flatbread
Cook Time: 4 ½ hours, largely unattended
For this recipe, you will need:
1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour
1 ½ cups (360 ml) water
½ tablespoon (7 g) salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
Place the chickpea flour in a large bowl. Gradually add the water while stirring with a whisk. Mix the batter until it is even, with no clumps. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, even better if it can sit overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 480° F (250° C). The farinata batter will have a layer of foam on top—skim it off with a slotted spoon and discard it.
Completely coat the bottom of a 12-inch (30 cm) non-stick round pizza pan with a generous layer of extra-virgin olive oil. Ladle the farinata batter into the pan to fill it and gently stir the to incorporate the olive oil into it.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy and beginning to brown on top. Serve warm and fresh.
Buon appetito!