I pinned this recipe on Pinterest the other day, and couldn’t believe how many of my friends re-pinned it! So I wanted to try it and see if it was as delicious as we all hoped. I read the single review of the original recipe on the Whole Living website, then made a few tweaks based on the feedback that the broccolini took longer to cook than the recipe called for and that the chickpeas got grainy. With a few adjustments, I LOVED this dish. It was crunchy, creamy, salty, lemony and slightly bitter. It quelled my vegetable craving while satisfying my hunger in ways that a salad never does!
I can’t find true broccolini in Japan, but there’s a similar vegetable from the same family called nanohana. Instead of broiling it for four minutes like the recipe dictates, I decided roast it first then finish it under the broiler in hopes that the stalks would cook more thoroughly. The single reviewer of the original recipe complained that the chickpeas were grainy, which I’ve found to be a side effect of dried-out chickpeas. I added them halfway through the cooking time so that they didn’t overcook.
This was a really simple recipe, and it only took about 15 minutes from start to finish (although your oven may take longer to preheat than my little Bree does). I ate about half of this recipe for a light lunch, and can’t wait to try the leftovers with a poached egg tomorrow. It would also make a great side dish with roasted pork or a steak.
Roasted Broccolini and Chickpeas
1 bunch broccolini
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (based on your personal preference)
3/4 c ricotta cheese
fresh lemon
your favorite olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Coat the broccolini in 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast for 4 minutes.
Toss chickpeas, garlic and red pepper flakes in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add to the cookie sheet and roast for another 4 minutes.
Switch to the broiler and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the broccolini stems are tender (not mushy) and the leaves are crisp.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cookie sheet (start with only a little, you don’t want TOO much acid!). Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve in bowl, topping with the ricotta and drizzling with olive oil.
A few quick disclosures:
I could not find ricotta cheese. I THOUGHT I bought ricotta, but it was actually cottage cheese. Which I also have been searching for, but I just didn’t want it TODAY! This is a hazard of grocery shopping in a country where you do not speak or read the language. But I just went with it, and decided to use it anyways. It was delicious, and makes a perfectly adequate substitute (although I can only imagine how fantastic it must be with ricotta!).
Also, the recipe does not yield as much as it looks like it does from my photos. I used a little trick to fill the bowl because I really, really wanted to use my new Staub ceramic salad bowl (thanks, honey!). Forgive me?
