Fava Bean Bruschetta
Fresh fava beans paired with pecorino cheese on toasted baguette make a classic Italian spring snack.
Ingredients
Fresh fava beans in pods
2 lbs (approx. 900g, approx. 2 cups after shelling)
Sea salt (for boiling water)
To taste
Extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp
Orange zest (grated)
Amount from 1/2 orange
Red pepper flakes
A pinch
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp
Baguette slices (0.5 cm thick, cut on the diagonal, toasted)
8 slices
Pecorino Pepato cheese (cut into small pieces)
8 thin slices (approx. 60g)
Instructions
1
Prepare fava beans
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water heats, shell the fava beans.
2
Blanch and peel
Add the shelled fava beans to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, adjusting time based on bean size until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water. Once the beans are cool, peel them: tear open the top of the pod, gently squeeze from the bottom, and the bean will slide out.
3
Season and mix
Place the fava beans in a bowl, add olive oil, orange zest, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, then toss to combine.
4
Assemble and serve
Spoon the fava bean mixture onto the toasted baguette slices. Top with broken pieces of Pecorino cheese, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve.
