Fava Bean Crostini with Prosciutto & Mint

Garlicky and bright, these crostini are fabulous for entertaining. You can prepare the fava-ricotta pesto in advance and top the toasts just before guests arrive. If you love Parmigiano-Reggiano, follow Carmellini's suggestion to "go heavy with the shaved cheese." Slideshow: More Bean RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Best New Chefs All-Star Cookbook 

Fava Bean Crostini with Prosciutto and Mint
Photo: © Chris Court
Total Time:
50 mins
Yield:
36 crostinis

Ingredients

  • Thirty-six 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices of a baguette or small ciabatta loaf

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

  • 1 3/4 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1 small garlic clove, chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped mint

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat the broiler or light a grill. On a large rimmed baking sheet, arrange the bread in a single layer and brush both sides with olive oil. Broil the bread 8 inches from the heat or grill, turning once, until lightly browned outside but still slightly soft inside, about 2 minutes.

  2. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the fava beans until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and cool under running water. Pinch the fava beans out of their skins and transfer to a bowl. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups of peeled favas.)

  3. In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the peeled fava beans with the ricotta cheese, heavy cream, garlic, crushed red pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and pulse until nearly smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the mint, basil and shallot. Season the fava pesto with salt and black pepper.

  4. Spoon some of the fava pesto on each crostini and lay a piece of prosciutto on top. Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup of peeled fava beans on the crostini, garnish with shaved Parmigiano and grated lemon zest and serve.

Make Ahead

The fava pesto can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Suggested Pairing

Clean, citrusy Prosecco.

Related Articles