Farinata with Chunky Avocado Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Chili Oil
Why be a square, daddy-o, when you can choose to be a truncated octahedron, dodecahedron, or even an ovular avocado? If rigid geometry isn’t your cuppa tea, then you’ll be in good company today, as our curvaceous friend stands out with its perfection of flavor, color, and taste.
Today we are thinking outside the box with a comforting and simply-elegant farinata (essentially a chickpea torta) topped with an avocado-basil-almond pesto and sun-dried tomato chili oil, inspired by the Ligurian Sea Coast. The chunky pesto and tomato oil add a new level of complexity to our elegant Italian appetizer. Keep in mind that the batter needs to rest for at least two hours before baking. This farinata has only three ingredients, but like the triangle, the flavor is strong!
Make the farinata batter – Combine the chickpea flour and water in a bowl; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Whisk salt, rosemary, and 2 tbsp olive oil into the batter. Let the batter rest at least two hours
Make the chunky avocado pesto – In a small bowl, gently fold together the avocado, basil, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Scrape into a serving bowl.
Make the sun-dried tomato chili oil – Heat the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, Aleppo chilies, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until room temperature. Add t0 a high-speed blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into a small serving pitcher.
Preheat the oven to 450˚
Make the farniata – Heat a 14″ non-stick cast iron or copper pan over medium heat. Pour 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet and swirl the pan to coat evenly. Gently pour the batter into the skillet then carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake to 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 5 additional minutes until brown in spots. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with the chunky avocado pesto and sun-dried tomato chili oil. Garnish with toasted almonds.
serves 4
FARINATA
- 1½ cups chickpea flour
- 1¼ cups plus lukewarm water
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
CHUNKY AVOCADO PESTO
- 2 avocados, pitted and peeled, cut into ½” dice
- 5 large basil leaves, julienned
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
SUN-DRIED TOMATO CHILI OIL
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Aleppo chiles
- ¼ tsp salt
GARNISH
- 2 tbsp toasted almonds, coarsely chopped