Fava Beans And Pecorino

1 from 2 ratings

This is our take on the classic Ligurian salsa maro, which is made of crushed fava beans, mint, pecorino, a little bit of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon to brighten the whole thing up. A mortar and pestle works beautifully here — you get a nice variation of texture, with some bigger pieces and smaller bits as well. If you just dump everything in a food processor and pulse it, you'll wind up with a more uniform consistency, which isn't quite as interesting to eat (see note below). Click here to see 'Franny's' Cookbook Brings the Neighborhood Italian Joint to Your Kitchen.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 fat clove garlic, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus large pinch
1 cup peeled fava beans
12 mint leaves, torn
4 teaspoon coarsely grated pecorino romano
2 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
eight 1/2-inch-thick slices italian long bread

Directions

In a mortar, combine the garlic and pinch of salt and pound together briefly with the pestle to break up the garlic. Add the fava beans and mint and pound until the mixture has a spreadable consistency. Stir in the Pecorino Romano and olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste, and the lemon juice.
Preheat the broiler. Drizzle 1 side of the bread slices with olive oil. Toast, oiled side up, until golden and crisp, 1-2 minutes. Spread the hot toasts with the fava mixture. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve.