Farinata with Roasted Butternut Squash and Vegan Almond Ricotta

Farinata is a traditional street food from Liguria, a region in northwest Italy. Traditional preparations are vegan, because it’s basic ingredients include chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. Versions of it are enjoyed up and down the northwest Mediterrean coast, but it’s also popular in Argentina and Uruguay (areas with significant populations of folks with Italian roots). Recently, I came across this recipe in the NY Times. We gave it a try and started thinking about what I would do differently. So, why not execute on my vision and share it? And thus, we have this vegan farinata recipe with roasted butternut squash, almond ricotta, balsamic reduction and more. It’s got serious fall vibes, and it tastes awesome!

This vegan farinata recipe makes ~8 servings, but could be more depending on how you slice it.

A few things…

• A cast iron skillet feels key for this recipe. It has superior heat retention for even cooking, which is important to the farinata cooking through at the same rate.

• If you use fresh butternut squash, it may take less time to roast. Keep an eye on it. Adjust the time, as needed.

• Never zested a fresh lemon? I got you.

• I like to slice the cooked farinata before adding the toppings. I find it’s easier to do without a lot of other stuff to also cut through.

• I like Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta, but you can also make some with basic vegan pantry staples and a high speed blender.

• For the balsamic reduction, you can either buy it off the shelf or make your own.

• While you can reheat leftovers in the microwave, I’d like to make a case for throwing them in the toaster oven or the oven at 375º F for ~7-10 minutes. It gets it back to being crispy on the outside and nice an soft on the inside. Just divine.

I really hope you love this one 💚 Discover additional UVK recipes, like Grilled Zucchini Spread, Vegan Tofu Pot Pie, Butternut Squash Spinach Soup, Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad, Quinoa Salad with Basil, Berries and Butternut Squash and more.

Farinata with Roasted Butternut Squash and Vegan Almond Ricotta

1¾ cup chickpea flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Chickpea Flour)

½ cup + 2 Tbsp + to drizzle of olive oil

2⅓ cup warm water

1½ Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (OR 1½ tsp dried rosemary)

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lemon zest (see notes above)

¾ tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

1½ cup chopped red onion

10 ounce frozen cubed butternut squash (OR ~1¾ cups cubed fresh butternut squash – see notes above)

Almond ricotta, to top (see notes above)

Finely chopped parsley, to top

Balsamic reduction, to drizzle (see notes above)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpea flour, ¼ cup olive oil, the warm water, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, salt and black pepper. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

2. As the farinata mixture absorbs the liquid, start working on the roasted veggies. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. In a mixing bowl, add the red onion and butternut squash. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix. Spread across the cookie sheet. Bake at 400º F for ~25-30 minutes or until it’s roasted to your tastes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. When the squash is done, add a 12″ cast iron skillet to the oven on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 500º F. Leave the skillet in for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven. Add ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet. Then, pour the farinata mixture into the skillet. Using a fork, lightly stir in some of the olive oil that has risen up through the mixture without allowing the fork to scrape the bottom.

5. Place the cast iron skillet back in the oven. Bake at 500º F for ~12-15 minutes or until cooked through and golden on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice.

6. Top the farinata with dollops of almond ricotta and the roasted butternut squash and onions. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and top with parsley. Serve immediately.