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Fave e pecorino
Raw broad beans with pecorino
Fave e pecorino: Rome's raw young broad beans with sheep's cheese
On 1 May, Romans head out to the parks and the Castelli Romani hills with a sack of fresh broad beans still in their pods and a hunk of young Pecorino Romano, and spend the afternoon shelling, nibbling and talking. The pairing is simple and very Roman: sweet, grassy raw beans against salty, sharp cheese, often with a glass of something cold and a hunk of bread. Only the youngest, smallest beans work raw, so this is a dish for a few weeks of spring. Traditional pecorino uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian sheep's cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: taste a bean before you buy; if it is starchy or bitter rather than sweet, braise those beans instead.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb very young broad beans in the podsmall, bright green pods
- 7 oz young Pecorino Romano or a vegetarian sheep's cheesein a piece
- 1 small country loaf (optional)sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oilopt
- 1 pinch black pepperopt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pile 3 ⅓ lb very young broad beans in the pod in their pods in a basket or on a board in the middle of the table. Everyone shells their own as they eat.
Step 2: Cut 7 oz young Pecorino Romano or a vegetarian sheep's cheese into rough chunks or flakes rather than neat cubes, so the edges crumble. Common mistake: using a long-aged, very hard pecorino; it is too salty and overwhelms the beans. Pick a softer, younger one.
Step 3: If some beans are a little larger, slip them out of their pale inner skins with a thumbnail; the tiny ones can be eaten skin and all.
Step 4: Serve with 1 small country loaf, a little 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and a grind of 1 pinch black pepper for those who like it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fave e pecorino take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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