Spring has a way of showing off with longer days, softer air, and that first pop of green that feels like a promise. And tucked right into that seasonal shift are fava beans, making their cheerful debut at Lake Tahoe Markets.
Fava beans are one of Spring’s most joyful arrivals! Their sturdy plants push up fragrant white blossoms, drawing pollinators while promising the plump pods that cooks wait for all winter. Their flavor is pure spring with fresh, a little grassy, a little sweet, like the world just rinsed itself clean.
In the kitchen, they take a bit of time to get them ready for most recipes, but it is so worth the effort! Blanch them, smash them, toss them with lemon and olive oil, or scatter them over pasta. However you use them, fava beans bring that unmistakable Spring brightness that reminds you the world is thawing and delicious things are growing again.
Enjoy them while they last. They’re the season’s green gold, and they never stick around for long. So when they show up in your Market Bag, it’s your cue that Spring is officially here, and it tastes delicious.
Fava Bean Ravioli
Homemade ravioli dough recipe filled with green fava beans and ricotta cheese, in a sauce with leeks and asparagus.
Ravioli dough:
6 large egg yolks
3 whole large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
Filling:
2½ lbs. fava beans in their pods
¼ cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese
3 Tbsp. drained whole milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste
1 egg white
To serve:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 leeks, sliced into thin matchsticks
½ lb. asparagus sliced into ½-inch pieces
Make the ravioli dough:
Pulse the egg yolks, whole eggs, 3 cups flour and salt in a food processor until the dough comes together in a ball. Add more flour if the dough seems very sticky. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly until the dough is smooth. Gather into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour at room temperature.
Make the ravioli filling:
Bing a saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the beans from the pods, then drop them into the water to blanch for 2 minutes. Drain. When they’re cool enough to handle, make a small tear on the tough outer skins and peel them off. You should have about 3 cups peeled fava beans.
Reserve ½ cup of the fava beans, and put the rest in a food processor along with the ricotta, grated cheese, parsley or basil and pepper. Puree to a thick, smooth consistency. Be sure to taste the mixture for salt as needed.
Form the ravioli:
Divide the dough into 4 portions, keeping reserved dough covered while working so it doesn’t dry out. Flour the dough and roll into thin 3-inch wide sheets on a pasta machine (I stop at setting 6 on my hand-cranked Atlas). Trim the sheets into workable sections about 2 feet long and place on a lightly floured surface.
Scoop the fava filling into small balls about 1-inch in diameter and arrange 1-inch apart in the center of each pasta sheet. Make an egg wash with an egg white and a drop of water, and brush over the dough all around the filling. Fold dough lengthwise over the filling, pressing gently between each ravioli and pinching to seal along the open edge.
Cut the ravioli with a fluted cutter (or use a pizza cutter) Transfer the ravioli to a floured tray and refrigerate until ready to cook, about 4 hours ahead.
Serve the ravioli:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sweat the leeks with a pinch of salt until soft. Add the asparagus, cover and cook 2 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved fava beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the ravioli in about 6 at a time and cook until they float to the surface, usually less than 3 minutes. Remove ravioli using a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer. Transfer to a serving bowl and combine with the sauce. Serve right away with more grated cheese alongside.
Jill Rozier – Lake Tahoe Markets
www.LakeTahoeMarkets.com