Ingredients
- Time: 20 minutes
- Serves 2
- 500g broccollini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
- 250g Toonsbridge ricotta
- 4-6 slices sourdough bread, toasted
- Sea salt
- For the romesco sauce:
- 50g blanched almonds, toasted
- 50g skinless hazelnuts, toasted
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 slice of stale white bread, torn up (crusts are perfect)
- ½ red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large tomato, peeled, deseeded and chopped
- 90g roasted red peppers from a jar
- Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
The recipe here for romesco sauce has a number of ingredients but don’t be put off by the list; most will likely be found in your store cupboard. It makes a generous amount so don’t be afraid to save what’s left in a jar in the fridge with a slick of extra virgin olive oil on top to seal its freshness. Seek out the best quality ricotta and sourdough bread for this simple starter – it will make all the difference.
Prepare the romesco sauce by placing all the ingredients in a food processor and blitzing until they are combined but still have texture. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Heat a large griddle pan over a medium heat, brush with oil and butter and arrange the broccolini across the base. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and allow to char for approximately 4 minutes either side or until it is tender when pierced with a fork and each piece has deep char marks. If you would prefer your brocollini more tender, add a splash of water to the pan and cover with a lid for another 1-2 minutes.
Spread each sourdough toast with ricotta and top with charred broccolini, romesco sauce and toasted almonds.
Serve while the broccolini is still warm.
