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Fava bean pesto in a bowl garnished with mint leaves.
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Fava Bean Pesto (Recipe and Ways To Use It)

Try this delicious 10-minute Fava Bean Pesto from Ligurian Riviera. It's perfect to use with crostini, grilled chicken, focaccia and more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 358kcal
Author: Svi

Ingredients

  • 2 lb fava beans with pods , (900 grams) or 250 grams shelled with skin on or 180 grams skin peeled (1 cup)
  • ½ cup Pecorino cheese , 50 grams
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil , 110 grams
  • 5-8 mint leaves
  • 1 garlic clove

Instructions

  • Remove beans from the pod. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop fava beans in a pot with boiling water and boil for 1 minute.
    Transfer immediately to a bowl with ice water.
  • Remove the skin from each bean. Help yourself with the tip of a small knife, squeeze, and the bean will pop out.
  • In a food processor blend mint leaves, pecorino cheese, and garlic clove cut into small pieces.
    Add fava beans and oil. Blend until combined.

Notes

  1. See the Step By Step Pictures for visual walk-through of the recipe.
  2. For the best flavor, use fresh fava beans that are bright green color, avoid over mature yellow beans.
  3. If you like a more rustic texture, set a handful of fava beans aside, blend everything, then add the reserved fava beans and blend again. This way you'll have two different textures of fava beans in your pesto.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 1mg