Author Notes
This is a variation on one of my favorite themes: fava beans tossed in mint, garlic, and a little olive oil. I added a cheese mix I have hanging around at times which folds ricotta, asiago or pecorino, and fontina cheeses together with some herbs. It's so versatile I can add it to any number of dishes to add a little something extra. Bonus: several parts can be done the day before and just thrown together for a really easy weeknight dinner. —TheWimpyVegetarian
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Ingredients
- Fava beans and herbs
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2 cups
shelled fava beans
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2 teaspoons
fresh mint, minced
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1 teaspoon
fresh rosemary, minced
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1 1/2 teaspoons
fresh basil, minced
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2 tablespoons
spring garlic, minced
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juice from 1 small lemon, to taste
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2-3 tablespoons
herbed ricotta mix (recipe below)
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1/3
box fettucini
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1/2 teaspoon
Kosher salt, to taste
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1-2
slices proscuitto, torn into bite size pieces
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1 tablespoon
toasted breadcrumbs
- Herbed Ricotta Cheese Mix
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1/2 cup
ricotta cheese, well drained
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2 tablespoons
Asiago or Pecorino cheese, grated
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2 tablespoons
Fontina cheese, grated
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1
bulb spring garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon
fresh mint minced
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Pinch salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Fava beans and herbs
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Heat a large pot of water to boil. This water will be used for both the fava beans and cooking the pasta, so it needs to be big enough for both.
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Shell the fava beans. The very best way to do this is to get any small children in to help that might think this will be fun. Pop the beans into the boiling water for a couple minutes and pull them out. Let sit until cool enough to handle while you prep the herbs.
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Peel the outer covering of the fava beans to reveal beautiful bright green little fava beans. Set aside. Combine the prepped herbs together including the salt. Reheat the "fava bean" water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook it according to the box directions while you make the Herbed Ricotta Cheese Mix. Drain the pasta.
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Heat a saute pan with a little olive oil and saute the herbs for 1-2 minutes until aromatic, and add the favas. Toss together and add the lemon juice and additional olive oil if necessary. Turn off the heat and add the pasta and toss together in the saute pan. Toss in the torn proscuitto pices and top with the breadcrumbs.
- Herbed Ricotta Cheese Mix
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Combine all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use. This recipe makes more than you'll need for the pasta, so just refrigerate the rest for other uses. You'll be surprised the number of uses you'll come up with!
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