Pasta with fava beans and ricotta is one of those dishes that feels like home, spring, and simple yet flavorful meals. It is a recipe rooted in peasant tradition, using few fresh and genuine ingredients to create something truly special. The fava beans, sweet and slightly crunchy, perfectly match the delicate creaminess of the ricotta, providing a soft and tasty sauce without too many frills. It really takes just a few minutes, a pot of boiling water, and a pinch of desire to indulge yourself with a simple and sincere dish. And let’s admit it: those colors, the bright green of the fava beans and the pure white of the ricotta, immediately bring joy to the table.

Whether you choose a short pasta like mezze maniche, fusilli, or a more rustic shape like orecchiette, the result will still be a little feast for the palate. It’s the perfect dish to welcome the beautiful season and enjoy all the best that nature offers us at this time.
And then, there’s also a little curiosity that makes this dish even more special: in many regions of Southern Italy, such as Sicily and Puglia, pasta with fava beans and ricotta is not just a seasonal recipe but also a traditional dish associated with the celebrations of St. Joseph. It was prepared with the first harvests from the garden, as a symbol of gratitude and good luck. Below are more simple first-course recipes for you.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
Portions: 4 people
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Spring

Ingredients for Pasta with Fava Beans and Ricotta

11 oz pasta
9 oz fava beans (fresh, already shelled and peeled)
9 oz ricotta
4 tbsp pecorino (grated)
1 clove garlic
1 sprig mint
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste salt
to taste pepper

Tools for Pasta with Fava Beans and Ricotta

1 Pan
1 Pot
1 Slotted Spoon

Steps

To prepare pasta with fava beans and ricotta, start by blanching the fava beans in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté a clove of garlic in a pan with a drizzle of oil.
Once blanched, transfer the fava beans to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and let them absorb the flavors for 5 minutes on low heat.
Drop the pasta into the same water where you blanched the fava beans and
in the meantime remove the garlic clove and
add the ricotta.
Mix everything together and
when the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the pan.
Add a ladle of cooking water,
a few mint leaves and
mix everything.
Now you just need to plate,
add a tablespoon of grated pecorino,
a few mint leaves and
the dish is ready to be enjoyed.