Crostini con ricotta, fave e pecorino
The other day, while opening a bag of clementines, I noticed “product of Morocco” written on the label.
Morocco? Over 4,000 miles, 7,000 kilometers, separate Minneapolis and Morocco.
Those poor little clementines must have been plucked from their trees, still small and tinged with green, and left to ripen in crates during their trans-Atlantic flight and on the beds of semi trucks transporting them across the US interstate.
It’s not their fault they don’t taste very flavorful.
On the other hand, clementines, a winter fruit, don’t grow in the northern plains of the United States. Nothing grows here in winter. (Cue the song “Sometimes it Snows in April” by Prince, Minnesota’s favorite son). We won’t see fresh produce at the farmer’s market until well into May.
Among the things we miss about Italy is the anxious anticipation of seasonal foods. In Rome, we were always awaiting the next season and the arrival of its bounty: melons, zucchini, and tomatoes in summer; chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, and truffles in fall. Now, the highly anticipated spring crop of artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, and fava beans has arrived.
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely why the fava is so revered in Roman cuisine. I mean, it’s good – tender, fresh, and slightly bitter – but not the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten. Perhaps it’s because the humble, bright green fava bean symbolizes spring: new life, warmer days, and the impending arrival of summer.
Even though they, too, come from afar, we tracked down fresh fava beans recently to celebrate the arrival of spring. Favas are the perfect pairing for pecorino romano and dry white wine. We ate plenty of our favas that way – popping them out of their pod and into our mouths with a bite of sharp cheese and a sip of wine.
But, we saved enough to make crostini con ricotta, fava e pecorino to bring to a dinner party. In this recipe, fresh ricotta and pecorino are spread onto toasted bread, and the crostini are topped with blanched, seasoned fava. It’s the perfect appetizer to welcome in spring.
Crostini con ricotta, fave e pecorino
In this recipe, fresh ricotta and pecorino are spread onto toasted bread, and the crostini are topped with blanched, seasoned fava. It’s the perfect appetizer to welcome in spring.
Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) fava beans, shelled
- 500 grams (2 cups) of fresh, whole milk ricotta
- 125 grams (1 cup) of finely grated pecorino romano, plus extra for garnish
- Zest of 1/4 lemon
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 8-12 slices of crusty bread
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to boil.
- Blanch the shelled fava beans in the boiling water for 2 minutes.
- Strain the fava beans, place them into a bowl of ice water, and set aside.
- Stir together the ricotta, pecorino, and the zest of a quarter of a lemon. Set aside.
- Return to the fava beans. Using the sharp point of a small knife, make a small slice in the skin of each bean. Pop the beans out of their skins, snap them in half, and transfer them to a separate bowl.
- Season the fava beans with a pinch of salt and black pepper and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.
- Slice and toast the bread.
- Spread the ricotta mixture onto each slice of bread, top with fava beans, and garnish with grated pecorino.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You may need less than 1 cup of Pecorino Romano, depending on how finely you grate it and how seasoned you prefer the ricotta. I used a microplane grater, which grates the cheese very finely. A box grater or a food processor will work as well, but you may need less pecorino to achieve the same flavor profile.
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