The Crostini with Broad Beans, Ricotta, and Pecorino are truly delicious and ideal for spring. A recipe that can be prepared in no time, even if you need to shell the broad beans. However, I have noticed in recent years that if you visit a local market, you can find pre-cleaned ones. I prefer those in pods because I can verify their freshness, but especially because I can make many zero-waste recipes with the scraps. The bread you need can be toasted either in the oven or in a non-stick pan, and this operation will also take you less than ten minutes. Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year, especially regarding fruits and vegetables; in fact, if you don’t like broad beans, you can easily replace them with fresh peas, asparagus, Roman zucchini, agretti, in short, with whatever suits you best.
If you like broad beans, then don’t miss the next recipes:
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 12 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 21 oz broad beans to shell
- 150 sheep ricotta
- 3.5 oz grated Pecorino Romano
- 4 slices bread
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Half lemon zest
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 3 Bowls
How to Prepare Crostini with Broad Beans, Ricotta, and Pecorino
First, shell the broad beans and boil them in boiling water for just two minutes. Drain them in ice water so they chill immediately and maintain their bright green color.
Remove the skin by pinching the initial part with your fingers, and place them in a small bowl. Season them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, and mix well.
In another bowl, pour the ricotta, grated Pecorino Romano, and mix.
At this point, toast the bread slices in the oven or in a non-stick pan, and arrange both the fresh mint and the lemon on your work surface. Now that all the ingredients are ready, you can assemble your crostini. Start the operation by spreading a layer of ricotta cream on each slice of bread, and immediately after, a portion of seasoned broad beans.
Sprinkle with more freshly ground pepper, add the mint leaves broken by hand, and finish with a grating of lemon zest.
Serve your Crostini with Broad Beans, Ricotta, and Pecorino immediately as either an appetizer or a single dish, maybe adding a drizzle more of extra virgin olive oil.
Tips and Storage
I do not recommend storing already assembled crostini, as the bread would become too soft. Instead, you can prepare all the ingredients individually the day before, storing them in the refrigerator in airtight containers.
You can replace the broad beans with fresh peas, Roman zucchini, or asparagus if you do not like broad beans.
You can replace the broad beans with fresh peas, Roman zucchini, or asparagus if you do not like broad beans.
