Serve this soft, tender chickpea focaccia as an appetizer with a glass of wine. Topped with summertime veggies and herbs, and perfect for nibbling on!

Marcella Hazan, author of The Classic Italian Cookbook and Marcella Cucina is regarded as the queen of Italian cooking in North America. After making her incredible Fried Eggplant Balls with Melted Mozzarella Center (Polpette di Melanzane) recipe, I was inclined to crown her queen, king, prince, or whatever title she desired.

When I spotted her recipe for soft chickpea focaccia (farinata), using chickpea flour, I was sold. The original recipe called for topping the focaccia with onions. However, with a overactive zucchini and rosemary plants in the garden, I made a few substitutions. As Marcella describes in her book, farinata is a thin, very soft focaccia. It is like eating a flavorful, savory hummus in the form of a bread. Divine! This is perfect as an appetizer, served with a glass of wine.

The main ingredient for farinata is chickpea flour, which is used in a variety of ethnic cuisines. If you have ever eaten Indian pakoras (fritters), Middle Eastern falafel, French Socca or Italian (Ligurian) Panissa, then you have sampled chickpea flour. It can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, but is available in Indian markets for a fraction of the price.

How to make chickpea focaccia (farinata):

In a medium bowl, combine 2 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoon salt,

½ pound (about 1 ⅔ cups) fine chickpea flour,

and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Stir well with a whisk.

Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.

Cut part of a zucchini into 12 very thin slices (about 1 ½ ounces), lay the slices on a piece of paper towel in a single layer, and sprinkler with salt. Let the zucchini rest for 30 minutes so that it releases much of its water. Dab the zucchini dry with a paper towel.

Roast a red bell pepper, remove the charred skin, and cut half of the pepper into very thin slices. Set the other half aside for another use. If you are unsure how to roast a bell pepper, check out my tutorial.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Strip about 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves from a spring of rosemary and stir the rosemary into the chickpea flour mixture.

Brush the bottom of an 11 by 7 by 2-inch nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Pour the thin batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture starts to set. Lay the zucchini and roasted red pepper slices evenly over the batter and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the edges turn brown and become crisp.

Remove the focaccia from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and gently remove from the pan. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Cut into about 12 pieces.

This is best served warm, but will still have great flavor if left at room temperature for a couple of hours. It will not, however, taste good the next day.

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Soft Chickpea Focaccia (Farinata) with Zucchini

Serve this soft, tender chickpea focaccia as an appetizer with a glass of wine. Topped with summertime veggies and herbs, and perfect for nibbling on!

3.60 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Chickpea Flour, Farinata, Focaccia

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Resting Time: 4

Total Time: 4 50

Servings: pieces

Calories: 82kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

2 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt plus more for zucchini
½ pound fine chickpea flour (about 1 ⅔ cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
12 very thin slices zucchini (about 1 ½ ounces)
½ roasted red bell pepper thinly sliced

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine water, salt, chickpea flour, and 2tbsp olive oil. Stir well with a whisk. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
Lay the zucchini slices on a piece of paper towel in a single layer, and sprinkler with salt. Let the zucchini rest for 30 minutes so that it releases much of its water. Dab the zucchini dry with a paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bottom of an 11 by 7 by 2-inch nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Stir the rosemary into the chickpea flour mixture. Pour the thin batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture starts to set. Lay the zucchini and roasted red pepper slices evenly over the batter and bake for an additional 20minutes, or until the edges turn brown and become crisp.
Remove the focaccia from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and gently remove from the pan. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Cut into about 12 pieces.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by Marcella Hazen.

This is best served warm, but will still have great flavor if left at room temperature for a couple of hours. It will not, however, taste good the next day.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Lose It! calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition

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Comments

3.60 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

How to make chickpea focaccia (farinata):