Pasta with fava beans and ricotta is a fresh, delicate first course, perfect for the spring season. Made with fresh fava beans, a soft fragrant ricotta cream, lemon zest and a few mint leaves, it’s a recipe that wins you over for its simplicity and lightness.
A creamy but balanced dish where the sweetness of the fava beans meets the softness of the ricotta and the fresh citrus-herb note of lemon and mint.
Easy and quick to make, it’s the ideal solution when you want to put something tasty but light on the table, without giving up the aroma and the colors of spring.
Prepare the recipe and let yourself be conquered by this simple, fresh first course!
Here are some more ideas for you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 11 oz pasta
- 1 1/2 cups fava beans (fresh, already shelled)
- 1 spring onion
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano (or pecorino)
- lemon zest
- mint
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- Frying pan
- Pot
- Colander
- Bowl
Preparation
Shell the fava beans and remove the little string that kept them attached to the pod.
If your fava beans are very fresh and small, you don’t need to remove the thin skin that covers them; otherwise remove it, keeping only the inner seed.
Trim the spring onion and chop it, sauté it for a few seconds in a pan with a drizzle of oil.
Add the fava beans, season with salt and wet the bottom with a little hot water (1). Let them cook for 5–7 minutes, or until tender to your liking.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.
While it cooks, mix the ricotta in a bowl with the Parmigiano (or pecorino), salt, pepper, 2–3 shredded mint leaves and a little grated lemon zest (2). Add half a ladleful of pasta cooking water so you obtain a smooth cream.
Drain the pasta slightly al dente and add it to the pan with the fava beans (3). Add the ricotta cream and toss for a couple of minutes over high heat. If necessary, add more cooking water.
The pasta with fava beans and ricotta is ready; divide it among plates and serve hot. If you like, add more lemon zest and an extra grinding of black pepper.
Tips and notes
If possible, use very fresh, medium-small fava beans; they are more tender and quicker to clean. To obtain the 1 1/2 cups required (about 250 g), you will need about 2.2 lb (1 kg) of fava beans in the pod.
You can use cow’s ricotta, sheep ricotta or a mix, according to your taste.
You can replace the mint with pennyroyal, thyme or marjoram.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Which pasta shape is best to use?
All semolina pasta shapes work well, both short (mezze maniche, fusilli, penne…) and long (spaghetti or linguine).
How can I enrich the sauce?
You can add guanciale or pancetta, after having browned them separately in a small pan.
