Fava Beans With Pecorino Recipes

FRESH FAVA BEANS WITH PECORINO CHEESE

Steps:

• Shell the favas and discard pods. Drop beans into boiling salted water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water. Drain again and remove tough outer skin from each bean. Place beans in a bowl.
• Serve with slices of good fresh cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, 1 to 2 drops of lemon juice, freshly ground pepper and a few grains of salt along with a slice of good crusty peasant bread.

FAVA BEANS WITH PECORINO CHEESE

Steps:

• Shell the fava beans from their pods.
• Blanch in a pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes, drain and place in a ice water bath.
• Remove the tough outer shell on the beans. (The easiest way to do this is to cut a slit along one side and gently squeeze the bean out of it's shell.)
• Prepare your plates by arranging a small nest of baby greens.
• Arrange the fava on top of the greens, then drizzle with the olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on the chopped parsley.
• Shave the Pecorino on top of the prepared beans and serve.

FAVA BEAN AND PECORINO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set a bowl of salted ice water on the counter. Blanch the fava beans in the boiling water and plunge immediately into the salted ice water. Remove the tough outer casing from the fava bean.
• Combine the fava beans in a large bowl with the onions, escarole, and the pecorino (reserve a couple shavings for garnish). Add some red wine vinegar, some olive oil and salt, to taste. Toss to coat the salad with the dressing.
• Arrange the salad on serving plates and top with the reserved shaved cheese.
• Springtime on a plate!!!!

FAVA BEAN CROSTINI WITH PECORINO FRICO

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and place in an ice bath. Peel the skins off the favas; the beans will split into 2 bright green pieces as you pop them out of their skins.
• In a food processor, combine the peeled favas, pecorino, garlic, parsley/mint mixture, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and EVOO. Pulse into a thick spread. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Season with a little flaky sea salt.
• For the frico: mix the 2 cups of pecorino with a tablespoon of flour. Divide the mixture into small piles on a silpat-lined sheet tray. Place in oven until golden and melted together, about 10 minutes. Remove with a spatula.
• Slice your bread into thin slices. Drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place in oven until crisp and golden. Serve the spread on the charred small toasts. Place a frico standing up on each crostini.

PASTA WITH FAVA BEANS & PECORINO ROMANO

Steps:

• Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to large bowl. Reserve water in pot.
• Combine 2 cups beans, 1 cup chopped basil and garlic in processor. Using on/off turns, process until beans are coarsely chopped. Transfer mixture to bowl with whole beans. Add remaining 1 cup basil, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Stir to blend. Season bean mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in same pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
• Stir 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid into bean mixture. Add to pasta. Add 1/3 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese and enough remaining cooking liquid to moisten. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

FAVA BEAN, ASPARAGUS, AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH SHAVED PECORINO

Steps:

• Cut asparagus stalks on a long diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices, leaving 1-inch-long tips (reserve tips separately).
• Blanch asparagus tips (but not sliced stalks) in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.
• Return water to a boil and blanch fava beans 1 minute, then immediately transfer with slotted spoon to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus tips and beans and gently peel skins from beans (it's not necessary to peel edamame, if using).
• Toss beans and asparagus (blanched tips and raw sliced stalks) in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste, then divide among 4 plates. Toss arugula with remaining tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste and mound on top of vegetables. Shave thin slices of cheese over salad with a vegetable peeler (use about half of piece), then drizzle with vinegar.

PENNE CARBONARA WITH FAVA BEANS, PEAS AND PECORINO

Steps:

• First, find a willing assistant to help peel the favas. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the peeled favas and blanch for about 1 minute, then scoop them out (reserving the water) and put them into a bowl of cold water. Drain and slip them out of their whitish skins to reveal the emerald-green bean.
• Bring the water back to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the penne, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the egg yolks, pecorino and a little salt and pepper.
• When the pasta is almost done (about 2 minutes less than the time suggested on the package), add the favas and peas to the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the penne and vegetables, and return them to the pot. Add the butter and stir well. Add the egg yolk mixture and chives, tossing gently and adding a few tablespoons of the cooking water to form a silky sauce that clings to the penne. Adjust the seasoning, and serve with a wedge of pecorino for grating.