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Farinata is an iconic Italian street food with crispy edges and a custardy center. This savory chickpea pancake is made without wheat so it's a great gluten-free appetizer, snack, or side dish. Whether you avoid gluten or eat it like candy this Italian speciality is sure to please.
Farinata is often described as a chickpea pancake, though that really doesn’t do it justice. The naturally gluten-free and deliciously crispy-edged, custardy wonder that is farinata is a popular street food of Genoa, Italy. Plus, it's endlessly adaptable!
It’s a great example of cucina povera, meaning “poor kitchen.” Similar to other classics like Cacio e Pepe and Panzanella Salad, farinata demonstrates the Italian talent for turning inexpensive ingredients into delicacies we savor to this day.
Made with just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, farinata is a naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan delight. It’s fairly easy to make, you just need to plan ahead: give yourself at least 4 hours to allow the flour to hydrate while you go about your day. Once you get the hang of making it add different herbs or vegetables to keep it interesting.
I like to mix the batter in the morning then bake farinata in the afternoon to enjoy as a snack. Or, if you’re having a dinner party, throw it in the oven right when guests arrive. Simply bake, slice into squares, and pass the farinata around—the unique texture and flavor is sure to amaze your friends and family.
Not many people know that Genoa is home to some of Italy’s most delicious street foods.
Wander along the carruggi, the narrow-cobbled streets of this cosmopolitan port city along Italy’s northern Mediterranean coast, and you will come upon vendors selling slices of dimpled focaccia, paper cones filled with fried shrimp and calamari, and—my favorite—hot slices of freshly baked farinata.
The batter for farinata is traditionally poured into a wide, shallow cast iron or copper pan, and baked in a very hot oven. What emerges is almost magical—soft and creamy in the center, with a delicate lacy crust.
Chickpea flour gives it a golden color and an appealing vegetal flavor. In Italy it is sold hot out of the oven in focaccerie and other food shops.
Farinata’s origin is a little murky. One legend claims that Roman troops occupying Genova, in need of quick and cheap nourishment, "baked" the pancakes in the sun right on their shields.
The other holds that the Genovese fleet encountered stormy seas upon returning victorious from the battle against Pisa in 1284. Bags of chickpea flour and barrels of oil tipped over and mixed with the salty sea water, resulting in a slurry, which the hungry soldiers dried and "baked" on deck.
It’s likely that neither story is true.
What’s more likely is that farinata originated in Liguria (the region that includes Genoa and the Italian Riviera), with versions seen from Piedmont to Sardinia, as well as Tuscany, where it’s called cecina, and across the French border in Nice, where it is known as socca.
While farinata is delicious plain, you can also embellish with herbs, spices or thinly sliced vegetables. The key is to go easy on these embellishments, for the earthy flavor of the farinata itself is its greatest asset.
Because there are so few ingredients in farinata, make sure they are high quality. It makes all the difference in this recipe.
The key to making good farinata is to let the batter rest—ideally four or more hours. This allows the chickpea flour to absorb the liquid resulting in farinata that is custardy and not dry.
Farinata can be tricky to make without clear instructions. This recipe offers a simple guide to making farinata, but I’ve outlined additional tips before you get started.
While farinata is classified as a street food, there are lots of ways to enjoy it. It makes a great party appetizer, served in small squares to accompany cheese, prosciutto and salami, and olives or these Antipasto Skewers. Or, really wow your guests and serve with another favorite Italian appetizer: Arancini (Italian Fried Risotto) or a simple fresh salad, like Peach Salad with Arugula, Basil, and Goat Cheese. Don’t relegate this recipe to the snack table only. You can also serve it as a side, or gluten-free bread substitute, perhaps alongside Roasted Whole Chicken or a bowl of Simple Vegetarian Minestrone. I especially like it paired with grilled sausages and peppers.
Drizzle the Italian way. Extra virgin olive oil from 100% Nocellara del Belice olives.
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Domenica Marchetti is the author of eight books on Italian home cooking, including "Williams-Sonoma Everyday Italian," “Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions,” and “The Glorious Pasta of Italy.” When she's not writing or creating recipes, Domenica teaches Italian cooking classes on Zoom and leads occasional small-group culinary tours and workshops in Italy. Learn More
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Tried making this again tonight. I had to add a lot more water than the recipe called for. The result was a mess, though tasty! My farinata was a crumble mess. This is my second attempt, same result. Are there different types of chickpea flour? Cooked too long, too short? Anyway, the mess was delicious and went great with your chicken tagine. Any thoughts or what to watch out for next try?
Made this tonight, had never tried it before but have to say it was amazing. Served it with Greek shrimp kabobs and peach and arugula salad. Everybody loved it. Have found so many amazing recipes on your site and your cookbook. So happy I found you.
thanks. the recipe is perfect. reminiscing the time when i first tasted this in cinque terre.
So glad it brought back some good memories for you, Rodel!
I just had Farinata in Riomaggiore about 2 weeks ago, and was excited to try making it. It was too oily for my liking. I put some dried Rosemary and candied onions in mine. I will try it again with less than half the oil.
If you make half the recipe, it will fit and cook in a 10" skillet.
Yes, Lawrence. That should be just fine. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
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