Baked Chickpea Parmesan

A few tips to make this recipe great:

• Drain the chickpeas well. Wet chickpeas could lead to a slightly mushy middle. If the batter feels too wet as you’re mixing, just add another sprinkle of flour.
• Use fresh, whole milk mozzarella instead of the pre-shredded, part-skim, low-moisture stuff. Fresh mozzarella will be much richer and creamier while the latter could dry out in the oven.
• Keep the side salad simple so as to not overwhelm the flavors of the Chickpea Parmesan (and to avoid extra work for yourself!) Try my go-to Mixed Greens and Herb Salad for an easy option.

Let’s make Baked Chickpea Parmesan

Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the beans to a large bowl and mash until broken down (you want the texture here to be somewhat chunky, not smooth like hummus).

Add the eggs, Parmesan, onion, garlic, oregano, baking powder, flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, about 1 ½ teaspoons salt (I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt) and as much pepper as you’d like. Mix until well-combined. The consistency of the batter should be like thick cookie dough, not too wet and not too dry. If you don’t mind a little raw egg, taste the batter and adjust seasonings as necessary. If you’d prefer, you can add a tablespoon of the batter to a small skillet and cook, then taste for seasonings.

Use the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to grease the prepared baking sheet. Spritz a ⅓ cup dry measuring cup with a little nonstick cooking spray (or grease with olive oil), then use the cup to scoop out batter and transfer to the baking sheet into about 8 mounds. Spray the back of the cup measure with a little more nonstick spray, and use it to press the mounds into ½-inch thick patties.

Bake the patties for 15 minutes, then carefully flip them over and top each with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

Continue baking until the patties are lightly golden brown on the edges and the cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes more.

Serve with the warmed marinara sauce, a buttered roll, and a side salad