Fava and Pecorino Crostini with Mint and Pea Shoots
Fava beans, Pecorino-Romano cheese, and mint – a classic combination that’s just sooo delicious on toasty, garlicy bread. Top it with a handful of pea shoots, and you’ve just produced a crostini that screams “Spring”. Even the color is Spring-y – the fava beans and Pecorino become a beautiful spring green in the food processor. Just wait ’till you see it.
Favas can be a bit of a pain to prepare because you have to remove them from their pods and slip them out of their outer skins once they’ve been blanched. But you can do it – they’re such a fleeting, seasonal vegetable that you’ll miss them terribly when they are gone from the markets.
Ingredients:
For the fava bean puree:
1 pound fava beans in their pods
4 ounces Pecorino-Romano cheese, coarsely grated
5-6 large mint leaves, torn
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the toast:
6 slices artisanal bread (I used multigrain, but ciabatta would be nice), sliced on the bias
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, cut in half
To assemble:
1/4 cup pea shoots
10-15 small mint leaves
Special Equipment: Food processor
Procedure:
For the fava bean puree:
- Remove the fava beans from their pods. Have a small bowl of ice water at hand.
- Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the fava beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the favas are tender (you’ll have to slip them out of their outer skins to test for doneness).
- Remove the favas and plunge into your waiting bowl of ice water. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove the favas to drain.
- Slip the inner, bright green favas out of their outer, white-ish skins. This is a bit of a pain, but I promise that you won’t regret it.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the fava beans that have now been freed of their jackets, the Pecorino, the torn mint leaves, the olive oil, a small, tiny pinch of salt (Pecorino is salty), and a grinding of black pepper.
- Process in the food processor until you get a smooth puree. You can add a bit more olive oil or even a touch of water if the mixture is too thick for your taste. Remove from the food processor and set aside.
For the toast:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (or use your broiler).
- Spread the bread slices out on a small baking sheet. Rub each slice with a bit of the olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast in the oven until crispy.
- While still hot, rub each slice with the cut side of the garlic clove. You’ll probably only need to use 1/2 of the clove, unless you like it really garlicky (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
- Set aside to cool slightly.
To assemble:
- Top each slice of toast with a generous smear of fava puree. Top with a mixture of pea shoots and fresh mint leaves.
21 comments
nina Apr 16, 2009 at 2:21 am
Great minds with the crostini’s!! I love the beautiful bright green color…it must have been delight to bite into!!!
Joan Nova Apr 16, 2009 at 6:10 am
You’re right…this really does scream ‘spring’. It also screams ‘eat me’!
Kristina Apr 16, 2009 at 8:06 am
Yes! I love pea shoots. I thinned my peas last night, garnishing our salad with the ones I’d culled. They were delish.
maggie (p&c) Apr 16, 2009 at 8:16 am
I’ve been dreaming of a fava bean spread—where did you score the favas?
megan Apr 16, 2009 at 9:13 am
I got the favas at the Park Slope Food Co-op, and the wonderful pea shoots at the Union Square Farmer’s Market. I love pea shoots, too!
sivan harlap Apr 16, 2009 at 9:28 am
oh my, this looks so delicious! mmmm. and beautiful!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie Apr 16, 2009 at 11:23 am
These crostini look so delicious and full of wonderful refreshing spring flavors!
helen Apr 16, 2009 at 11:34 am
Oh, spring, are you here (in Vancouver) yet?
This looks lovely. Fava beans and pecorino are a match made in heaven.
anna Apr 16, 2009 at 11:41 am
This sounds fantastic! Exactly the kind of thing I want to be eating right now. I’ll have to look for favas next time I’m out shopping – up here in Maine it takes a bit longer for spring to gather steam and it’s still mostly root vegetables galore but any day now!
katiek @ kitchensidecar Apr 16, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I LOVE PEA shoots too. This looks so fresh for spring.
I want to eat it!
Chinese people eat pea shoots all the time. They are great stir fried with garlic. Some people combine then with ham, but i think it is wholly unnecessary.
Interesting fact: There are actually 2 types of pea shoots. the ones that look younger (like sprouts) or the bigger ones.
The smaller ones have more of a fibrous characteristic, whereas the big ones are more gentle and buttery. The larger ones are more sought after.
Sorry… just a dose of chinese learnings for the day
ps i made mochi cookies. and changed methods halfway through…kinda wild.
megan Apr 16, 2009 at 3:13 pm
thanks for the pea shoot facts! i want to eat your mochi cookies. how did they turn out? are you going to post the recipe?
gastroanthropologist Apr 17, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Love the color … I like how you added mint to this.
Ulla Apr 17, 2009 at 2:08 pm
OMG! This is so creative and spot on for what I have been craving! So talented!:)
Just gorgeous!:)
The Duo Dishes Apr 17, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Mint and peas are such an interesting combination. It must taste so fresh on the tongue. It’s pretty, that’s for sure.
lisaiscooking Apr 17, 2009 at 3:17 pm
What perfect, green color! This looks delicious!
Rosa Apr 17, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Very spring-like and wonderful! This crostini looks delightful!
Cheers,
Rosa
Marc @ NoRecipes Apr 18, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Love the infusion of spring into this dish. I need to get with the season and lay the pork belly and braised dishes to rest.
katiek @ kitchensidecar Apr 18, 2009 at 9:59 pm
just took a look at this month’s gourmet magazine. A fava spread with arugula pairing is featured. It reminded me of this post. You are so ahead of the beat.
megan Apr 19, 2009 at 9:38 am
mmmm pork belly and favas would be amazing, though. pork + favas is a classic Spanish combo! And favas with arugula sounds awesome, too! I have to check that out, I feel like I may have accidentally let my Gourmet subscription lapse because I haven’t seen that issue yet.
Abby May 3, 2009 at 10:15 am
This looks delicious. There have been beautiful pea shoots at the farmers market. Favas are a lot of work, but worth the effort.
Emily and Tom Apr 18, 2010 at 9:32 am
We just made this and thought it was fantastic! Definitely watch the added salt as the pecorino has plenty. YUM! A bit of EVOO drizzled on top was nice.
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