PHOTOS BY OLAF STARORYPINSKI
WITH A HISTORY DATING BACK SOME 10,000 YEARS, fava beans, also known as faba and broad beans, among other monikers—count among the first crops cultivated by humans. These mild-tasting legumes, commonly associated with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, are incorporated into diverse cuisines from China to Latin America. Despite their worldwide popularity, many people remain unacquainted with this storied food. (Yes, favas are frequently cited as the magic beans in the “Jack and the Beanstalk” fairy tale.)
Although favas are available in multiple forms, including dried (whole or split), frozen, and canned—not to mention crispy bagged snacks in an array of flavors—tracking down fresh ones at this time of year requires some strategic expertise, according to an area chef and a local farmer. The flavor of fresh favas is hard to define. It’s often inadequately described as buttery or nutty, but it’s more akin to a slightly earthy “greenness.”
As chef de cuisine at Bolete restaurant in Bethlehem (and a contributor to this publication, too), Mike Joyce celebrates their arrival by incorporating them into the restaurant’s ever-evolving menu and at his home.
“Emerging out of winter, it’s always exciting to get these first green ingredients,” he says. “For me, they’ve always signified springtime.” While working in an Italian setting (you may remember Joyce as the opening chef at the now-closed Molinari’s), one of Joyce’s favorite seasonal preparations boasted shell pasta, spring lamb, and fresh fava beans with pecorino and mint. He recommends brightening fava dishes with acidity, such as lemon juice, along with some herbal notes.
How to Deal with Fava Beans
Nature packages fava beans in long pods similar to limas. They’re shipped whole to the East Coast from growers mainly in California. Joyce regards this delivery delay as a “ticking time bomb” that allows sugar to quickly convert to starch. This creates a hardier texture that requires more cooking—making local products the preferred choice. (Note that very young and small favas are super-sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw, pod and all. Add a few fava plants to your garden.)
Whole mature pods should be refrigerated before shelling and then peeling and blanching the beans (details on that process follow). If not consuming the prepped favas right away, Joyce recommends sealing them in a zip-top bag and freezing for up to several weeks. “That way you won’t lose all that sugary sweetness,” he says.
Commercially frozen favas work also well in many dishes, including as soups and favetta, a mashed and seasoned Italian condiment or appetizer. Not all major grocers stock them, but Azar Supermarket in Bethlehem and Elias Market in Allentown are reliable sources.
Where to Find Fava Beans
We may, however, be able to find them even closer to home during this growing season. With a recently expanded footprint, the Easton Urban Farm—managed by Master Gardener Mark Reid—has introduced two varieties of fava beans, Vroma and Aquadulce, to this year’s crops. The city land’s bountiful produce is distributed to local community organizations through the nonprofit Neighborhood Center adjacent to the farm. Reid hopes to offer fava beans for sale at the West Ward Market in Easton, thus acquainting the public with this luscious legume. He especially encourages eating favas with garlic scapes that are harvested in June.
Although prepping fresh fava beans for eating is fairly labor-intensive, Reid feels that “the whole preparation is fun. It’s an experience, like when you shuck an oyster: When you shuck it and eat it, it tastes better.” Shelling favas goes quickly by opening a seam that runs the length of the pod. A light-colored skin encasing each bean is a different story. Due to a high tannin content, the outer skin of mature beans creates a bitter taste and is usually removed.
According to Reid, peeling favas can offer a zen-like calm and focus. “It is traditionally done by folks sitting in a circle with aprons filled with fava beans resting on their laps,” he says. Put a bottle of wine on the table, perhaps, for an old-fashioned talk therapy session.
How to Prep Fresh Favas for Cooking
However, a speedier approach Joyce employs involves dropping the unskinned beans in salted boiling water to blanch for less than a minute. Transfer the favas to an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process. After draining, the beans will easily slip from the skins, with maybe just a thumbnail of coaxing. At this point, toss them into a salad or simmer or sautée them as your recipe specifies. (Or, in the case of the recipe he’s provided us with, a delicious and easy pasta dish.)
As a longtime staple across the Middle East and North Africa, ful medames (with variant spellings) is a hearty fava bean stew seasoned with cumin. It’s also topped with a variety of fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices and served with pita. Although this dish is typically made with dried favas, which need to be soaked and cooked, using canned beans makes prep easy. Another regional specialty, crispy fried falafel, sometimes incorporates fava beans with chickpeas. Egyptian cookery, however, favors an all-fava recipe for falafet. This changes not only the taste but gives a lighter texture to these fried fritters.
A Word of Caution about Fava Beans
Unfortunately, there is a darker side to these beans. Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher and math whiz, abhorred and actually feared fava beans, believing they could contain the souls of the dead. His Pythagorean “cult” followers were also barred from consuming the beans. There’s also a very small percentage of the population that carries a genetic marker (specifically, a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency) that makes them susceptible to “favism.” This is an acute hemolytic anemia syndrome classified as rare by the NIH. The hereditary condition, occurring almost exclusively in males, may be triggered by certain infections, aspirin and other common medications, or the consumption of fava beans. Patients generally recover from such symptoms as fever and fatigue within a few days without treatment.
For the rest of us who lack this specific sensitivity, the health benefits of fava beans are quite impressive. They’re high in protein and fiber, which together provide energy, aid in digestion, and promote healthy weight. Manganese delivers an immune system boost, and a host of vitamins and other minerals help prevent strokes and heart disease. Essentially, fava beans can keep you happily healthy and ready to head to the kitchen for cooking—and eating–adventures. •
Fava Bean Cacio Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, preferably spaghetti or tonnarelli fresh or frozen
- 2 cups fava beans shelled and blanched (or use frozen)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 teaspoons blackpepper freshly cracked
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated as finely as possible
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 to 2 cups pasta water reserved
- Kosher salt as needed
Instructions
- Bring an 8-quart stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Season aggressively with kosher salt.
- Once your water comes to a boil, add your pasta and give it a quick swirl with a wooden spoon. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
- While pasta is cooking, warm a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan but keep an eye on it; don’t let it burn.
- Add cracked black pepper to the pan and toast for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time.
- Next, add 1 cup of reserved pasta water and the fava beans, along with the pasta. Add the grated Pecorino and lemon zest.
- While the pan is still on the heat, use tongs or a spoon to stir the pasta, coating it in the starchy pasta water and melting cheese to create a creamy sauce. If your pan looks a little dry, add a splash of pasta water. If your sauce looks too soupy, keep on cooking it down until it adheres to the pasta. Taste and season with salt if needed, but remember Pecorino is salty so you may not need much salt, if any.
- Divide pasta among your bowls and shower with more grated Pecorino. Mangia!
