Brett Fava Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water; let cool about 5 minutes (keep the pot of water boiling). Drain the beans, then peel off their skins (they should slip right off). Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Heat the olive oil, garlic, mint sprigs, parsley sprigs and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the favas and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the favas are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, 8 to 10 minutes; discard the garlic and herb sprigs.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and cook, tossing until it absorbs some of the sauce, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, chopped mint and parsley, reserved scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more cooking water to loosen, if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Tip: If you can't find fresh fava beans, use frozen shelled and skinned ones and blanch as directed.

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with ice and water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water. Drain again and remove outer skins. Place the beans in a medium serving bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the beans and mix well. Add the cheese, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Steps:

• If the fava beans are very small and soft, you can use them raw. If they are medium to large, blanch them until just tender in unsalted boiling water (remove the skins after blanching if they are slightly tough). Smash or finely chop half the beans and leave the other half whole.
• Put all the beans into a bowl with the chopped mint (added to taste), olive oil and ricotta. Lightly fork this through, adding the Parmesan, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Stuff the ravioli with the filling and cook them in gently boiling salted water for around 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain carefully.
• Serve drizzled with a little extra olive oil, and scattered with the extra fava beans, some chopped mint, olive oil and some freshly grated or shaved Parmesan.

Steps:

• Soak the beans in water for 2 hours, drain and put in a pot with 2 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until the beans are very soft. Add the salt and mash the beans by hand or, for a smoother texture, puree in a blender and return to the pot.
• Fry the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Add to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes longer, adding water if the soup becomes too thick. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and the coriander. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.