Fava bean and ricotta truffles with salami, a delicious pairing for a tasty appetizer, I admit I was inspired by the historic combination of fava beans and pecorino cheese. I thought of mixing ricotta with Grana Padano instead of pecorino, well the idea was not bad at all, in fact, it was excellent.
Fava beans are a staple food of Mediterranean cuisine, of ancient origin, the combination with pecorino cheese is never missing during picnics and open-air lunches in the countryside of central Italy, usually accompanied by various kinds of cured meats. This appetizer I prepared using fava beans, ricotta, Grana, all accompanied by salami, in my case Piacentino, but you can use the cured meats you prefer, is a bit more “northern” but equally delicious and sure to impress
Below are other appetizers with cured meats:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12 truffles
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Spring, Summer and Autumn
- Energy 101.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 1.59 (g) of which sugars 0.67 (g)
- Proteins 6.12 (g)
- Fat 7.62 (g) of which saturated 2.21 (g)of which unsaturated 2.19 (g)
- Fibers 1.20 (g)
- Sodium 272.14 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 5.6 oz fava beans (including pods 22.9 oz)
- 3.5 oz ricotta
- 1.76 oz Grana Padano, grated
- 1 bunch chives
- 2.1 oz hazelnut crumbs
- 3.5 oz salami (Piacentino)
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- Colanders XIAOMAOMAO 2 Piece Colander Set, Collapsible Silicone Colander, Foldable Fruit and Vegetable Washing Basket for Draining Pasta, Vegetables, Fruit
- Steel pans Agnelli Family Cooking Line Aluminum Pan with Two Handles, Silver, 6.3 inches
- Bowls Set of 3 Stainless Steel Bowls with Airtight Lid – Stackable – Non-Slip Base – Space Saving – Graduated
- Blenders Moulinex LM811D PerfectMix + Electric Blender with Powelix Technology, 1200 W, 1.5 Liters, 45 Decibels, Multifunction Blender with 3 Programs and Heat-Resistant Glass Jug
Steps for fava bean and ricotta truffles with salami
Start by shelling the fava beans, boil them in boiling water for about 10 minutes
Drain them and transfer them to a bowl with ice water to maintain their color. Once cold, drain them, remove the outer skin of the fava beans by running them between thumb and forefinger. Then chop them in the immersion blender (if you are interested in purchasing click here), until forming a cream
In a bowl, put the ricotta, stir to soften it, add the spices, chopped chives, grated Grana, and finally the fava bean cream. Mix everything well, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a couple of hours
Once the mixture is ready, with wet hands, make balls about the size of a walnut. Then roll them in the hazelnut crumbs, I prepared it with the hazelnuts I had at home, or you can buy it ready-made (to buy it click here)
Get some small bowls or glasses, place slices of salami in each of them to cover them, it should look like a flower, and place the truffle in the center. To be eaten cold in one bite…
Tips, notes, variations, fava bean and ricotta truffles with salami
Of course, you can use the salami you like best, Milano, finocchiona, etc.. important that it is sliced thinly
