Sweet onions, tangy goat cheese and a light egg custard make a savory tart perfect…
Fava Beans with Sage & Cheese Ravioli
Fava beans are among my springtime favorites. As delicious and versatile as favas are, I wish they were faster to prep. At my farmers market, growers sell sweet peas, shelled, in large bowls for scooping. Not so for favas. But let’s not get discouraged. This is a super easy recipe. Once the favas are shelled and lightly cooked, this is totally worth the fava time. If you want, shell the favas a day ahead and refrigerate.
Fava Beans with Sage & Cheese Ravioli
Fava beans are delicious, they just take a little care to prepare. When buying fava beans, look for firm pods where you can feel the beans. Number of beans per pod varies, so Rita specifies about 40 shelled beans. Feel free to use more!
Servings 2 generous
Ingredients
- 8-12 fava pods, about 40 beans
- 16 oz. purchased cheese ravioli
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage leaves
- shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- Split fava pods with your fingers and remove beans. In a 4-quart pot, bring water to a boil; salt lightly. Add favas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove with a wire strainer, rinse with cold water and drain. Slip skins off favas and discard. Meanwhile, keep water in pot simmering.
- Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet. Add sage and simmer very gently. Meanwhile, add ravioli to pot of boiling water. Cook as directed, 2–6 minutes depending on the brand and size of ravioli. Note: The cooked ravioli will be a bit green from the favas. If you prefer, use a fresh pot of water.
- When ravioli is cooked, drain well and add to skillet along with fava beans. Toss to coat and warm up favas. Serve immediately topped with shredded cheese.
Recipe and photos by Rita Held
Did you know the fava pods are edible? I just learned this from a local chef. Simply trim ends, sliver pods and sauté in olive oil until tender.
From what I understand, the pods are edible if they are VERY young. The typical big ones you see at farmers markets are too mature and super chewy (but you do get more fava beans with them). After all, it’s the favas that are full of flavor.
I love favas too but dread the prep! But now I’ll look forward to the next delivery in my CSA box. Glad you said how many pods to use, it’s hard to tell how much one will get from a pile of favas.
A large, mature pod will typically have at least 5 fava beans. Look more closely at one of the photos; you’ll see what I mean.
This looks so good!!!
It IS yummy, and easy. The greenish hue on the ravioli is because it’s cooked in the same water used for the favas.