Troccoli with Fava Bean Pesto

Troccoli with fava bean pesto is a dish that combines the tradition of fresh Italian pasta with the rustic flavor of fava beans. Here’s how to prepare this delicious dish:

Ingredients

• 400 g troccoli (or other fresh pasta of your choice)
• 300 g fresh or frozen fava beans
• 1 garlic clove
• 30 g blanched almonds
• 40 g grated Pecorino Romano
• A bunch of fresh mint
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

1. Start by blanching the fava beans in salted water for about 5 minutes if fresh, or following the package instructions if frozen.
2. Drain them and remove the outer skin if necessary (this step is optional but recommended to obtain a creamier pesto).
3. Meanwhile, in a pan lightly toast the almonds until golden, then let them cool.
4. In the food processor, add the peeled fava beans, toasted almonds, garlic clove, mint leaves, Pecorino, salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of oil. Blend everything until you get a homogeneous cream. If necessary, add a bit of the fava cooking water or oil to reach the desired consistency.
5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. When boiling, cook the troccoli until al dente.
6. Drain the pasta, reserving some cooking water, and transfer it to the pan with the fava pesto.
7. Add a bit of the reserved cooking water and toss the pasta with the pesto, stirring gently until you get a cream that coats the troccoli well.
8. Serve immediately, adding if desired a sprinkle of Pecorino and some fresh mint leaves for garnish.

Trivia

Troccoli are a pasta shape typical of Apulian culinary tradition. It is an egg pasta similar to spaghetti but thicker and with a rough surface obtained using a wooden tool called “troccolo”, hence the name. If you don’t have a troccolo, you can use a pasta guitar or, alternatively, buy ready-made troccoli.