Serve these beans on toasted baguette, tossed with pasta for a main course, or folded into cooked rice for a tasty side dish. A vegetable peeler works well to shave the Parmesan.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- One pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ bunch spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 2-3 cups prepared fava beans (or half favas and half frozen peas)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one half lemon
- Parmesan cheese (in wedge form)
Method:
- Shell fava beans and briefly boil or steam the beans to loosen the outer, light-green skins. Remove the skins by making a small cut in the skin of each bean, and squeezing the inner, bright-green bean out through the tear. See accompanying article for details. Discard skins and pods.
- Warm a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 15 seconds. Add spinach and cook for 30 seconds, then add beans (and peas). Cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in zest and lemon juice. Serve with shavings of Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
