This was inspired by farmer and fellow veggie lover Andrea from the Dishing Up the Dirt. I really love one tray dinners like this. Just pop everything in the oven, set your timer, make the sauce and you’re good to go.
Crispy Broccolini & Chickpeas with Cashew ‘Ricotta’
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas 400g / 14oz, drained
- 2 bunches broccolini
- 200 g cashews
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice + extra to serve
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- handful pine nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250C (480F). Place chickpeas and broccolini on a baking tray. Drizzle generously with oil and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- While the chickpeas and broccolini are cooking, cover cashews with boiling water and stand for a few minutes.
- Drain cashews and place in your food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup water, lots of salt and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Whizz until you have a smooth creamy sauce, scraping the sides down a few times. Give it at least 5 minutes. Gradually drizzle in 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil with the motor running. Taste and season with more salt and lemon, if needed.
- When the broccolini stems are tender and the edges nice and crispy, sprinkle over pine nuts (if using) and pop back in the oven for a minute or so.
- Serve your roast with cashew sauce on the side and a little extra lemon juice squeezed over.
Variations
family-friendly – chop a sweet potato into chip pieces and roast in the oven for 10 minutes before adding the chickpeas and broccolini. Soak a handful of raisins in boiling water, drain and toss in at the end.
carnivore – serve as a side for grilled or pan fried chicken, fish or pork chops. We had it with chicken kebabs the other night and it was lovely. Or slice some chorizo or other spicy sausage and add with the chickpeas.
more substantial / carb-lovers – add chopped root veg to roast for 10 minutes before adding chickpeas and broccolini. Serve with warm pita or other flat bread.
paleo / no-chickpeas – replace with 1/2 head cauliflower chopped into florettes.
different veg – feel free to use any veg you like, just chop into bite sized pieces before roasting. Broccoli is great and if it’s asparagus season where you live that would be my pick!
nut-free – skip the cashew sauce and pinenuts and serve with hummus, goats cheese, labneh or home made mayo instead.
short on time – use real ricotta instead of making the cashew sauce.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
chickpeas / cashews / olive oil / pine nuts – keep them in the pantry.
broccolini – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag.
lemons – in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag. Can be kept at room temp if you prefer but will last longer in the fridge.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just roast veg and chickpeas and make sauce as per the recipe but keep them separately. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm chickpeas and veg in a frying pan or the oven then serve with sauce on the side.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
This cashew ricotta looks so easy! I’d like to add it to my New Favourites if possible. Thanks–Beth
It’s really good! Caroline will email you when it’s done 🙂