Fava-Mint Pesto

Serves
makes 2 cups
Time
35 minutes

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

Chef Jessica Largey gave us the recipe for this verdant pesto, a combination of blanched fresh fava beans, Marcona almonds, anchovies, garlic, and mint. It makes a great spring appetizer served atop crostini.

What You Will Need

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Ingredients

2 lb. fresh fava beans in their pods
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
2 anchovy fillets in oil, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
6 tbsp. Agrumato lemon oil
¹⁄₄ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¹⁄₄ cup loosely packed mint leaves, thinly sliced
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 Tbsp. juice

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Instructions

Step 1

Shuck the fava beans from their pods and then peel off and discard their shells. You should have about 2 cups cleaned fava beans.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the fava beans until bright green, 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let sit until chilled, 1 minute. Drain and roughly chop the fava beans.

Step 3

In a mortar, pound the almonds, anchovies, and garlic until evenly combined, then add 2 tablespoons of the lemon oil to loosen the mixture. Add the reserved fava beans and mash into a coarse purée. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons lemon oil, the parmesan, mint, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and serve.

Shuck the fava beans from their pods and then peel off and discard their shells. You should have about 2 cups cleaned fava beans.
In a medium saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the fava beans until bright green, 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let sit until chilled, 1 minute. Drain and roughly chop the fava beans.
In a mortar, pound the almonds, anchovies, and garlic until evenly combined, then add 2 tablespoons of the lemon oil to loosen the mixture. Add the reserved fava beans and mash into a coarse purée. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons lemon oil, the parmesan, mint, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and serve.

Fava-Mint Pesto