This quick weeknight dinner comes together on not one but two baking sheets. On one, bell pepper strips get glazed in a sweet and punchy agrodolce, thanks to a mixture of honey and sherry vinegar (agrodolce means “sour-sweet” in Italian). On the other, spiced chickpeas and oily croutons are roasted until crisp. Because everything is better over a swoosh of creamy cheese, you’ll pile the contents of both baking sheets high on a bed of seasoned ricotta and finish with a garlic-parsley dressing. Here, the flavors of a deep, smoky romesco sauce cross with the textures of a loaded toast for a super satisfying platter you’ll likely scrape clean.
The trick to the crispiest chickpeas is patting them as dry as possible before oiling them up for the oven. Moisture prohibits browning and causes your chickpeas to steam instead of roast. This includes any liquid trapped between the bean and its thin outer skin; if you have the time (and patience!), removing any loose skins helps a bunch. To be honest, I rarely do it, and just live with a couple of chickpeas on the softer side.
Hot tip: In peak pepper season, sub in any sweet ones from the farmers market in lieu of the classic grocery store bell variety.
What you’ll need
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Place 4 red or yellow bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1"-thick strips, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar over; season with kosher salt. Toss to coat and roast on upper rack until peppers have softened and blistered in spots, 28–32 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place one 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry, on a second rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with some oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. ground cumin and 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and season generously with salt. Toss to coat and roast on lower rack until slightly darkened in color, 9–11 minutes.
Step 3
While the chickpeas are roasting, place ½ small loaf of country-style bread (about 4 oz.), torn into 1" pieces, in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper; toss to coat.
Step 4
Remove chickpeas from oven. Add bread to baking sheet and toss to combine; reserve bowl. Roast until chickpeas are crisp and bread is golden brown, 13–17 minutes.
Step 5
Place 1 cup whole-milk ricotta in a small bowl, drizzle in a little oil and season with salt. Mix well and spread over a platter; set aside.
Step 6
Toss 1 garlic clove, finely grated, 3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley, 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a clean small bowl to combine. Stir 1 Tbsp. honey and remaining 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar in another small bowl.
Step 7
Remove peppers from oven, immediately drizzle honey mixture over and toss to coat. Transfer bell peppers, chickpeas, and croutons, and any juices from pans to reserved bowl; toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed; drizzle with more oil if desired.
Step 8
Pile pepper mixture on top of reserved platter with ricotta, then spoon garlic-parsley dressing over.
