While common beans originally come from the Americas, broad beans (fava) have been a staple of European cuisine for thousands of years. In addition to their importance as a food crop, fava beans were considered sacred in ancient Greece and Rome.
In the Roman calendar, May was marked by the joyous Spring festival of the Floralia. During the Spring celebrations, favas were thrown into the crowds as a symbol of fertility. On the 1st of June, a dish of mashed beans and lard was offered to the goddess Carna, guardian of the heart and vital organs. Eating this dish on that very day was said to protect one’s internal organs and bring health for the coming year.
The importance of broad beans has endured for millennia. In 11th century France, Ulrich of Zell, abbot of Cluny Abbey, directed the preparation of fava beans. Cluny Abbey was the wealthiest and most influential religious institution of its time. In the Book of Rule of the monastery, Ulrich dictated in great detail how monks had to wash, cook, shell and flavor the fava beans with pork fat. The monks were not allowed to leave the kitchen during this process, not even to go to Mass. Nor were they permitted to taste the results of their efforts.
Umbrians are fond of broad beans. Crates full of the long green pods announce the beginning of spring in the markets. When they are still young and tender, there is no need to shell the beans. In Umbria we eat the young fave fresh, just out of the pod, accompanied by a slice of young pecorino cheese and a glass of red wine. It’s great picnic food to celebrate the first sunny days of spring.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 200 g (7 oz) fresh egg pasta
- 1 cup broad beans (fava beans)
- 1 garlic clove, very finely minced
- 2-3 tablespoon grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons ricotta (optional)
For the almond and basil pesto:
- 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, about 4 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil
- If the fave are longer than 1 cm (0.5 inch) you must blanch them in boiling hot water for 5 minutes or until some of the skins start to split. One cup of broad beans yields 6 tablespoons of shelled beans. Drain and refresh under cold water. Remove the shells. This will take some time but you can omit this step if you have small, thin- skinned beans.
- To make the pesto, purée all the ingredients in a bowl using an immersion blender. Make sure to make the pesto at the last possible moment before using it on the pasta. This way the pesto does not oxidize and keeps its lovely flavor and color.
- While making the pesto, cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 1 minute or according to the package instructions.
- In a pan large enough to hold all the pasta, sauté the minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant, this will take about 30 seconds. Add the broad beans and cook briefly to infuse them in the garlic oil. Take off the heat and add the pesto. At this point you might add a couple of tablespoons of ricotta if you would like to.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a 1/3 of a cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to the pan that holds the sauce and increase the heat to high. Add the reserved pasta water and quickly stir so that the sauce combines with the pasta and looks creamy and shiny. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Letizia Mattiacci is a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto Cooking School and Agriturismo in Assisi, Umbria, https://incampagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in Mrs. Mattiacci cookbook entitled A Kitchen with a View.
Donate