Fava bean risotto is one of the most typical Italian fava bean recipes, very common during fava bean season, that is springtime. Even if you are not in the proper season, the frozen ingredient will guarantee a definitely satisfactory result!
Among all the legumes, fava beans not only have the lowest calories, but are also amazing from a nutritional point of view. Even if this blog is more about pleasure and taste (need to admit it… ), knowing that you are combining taste with health is always an ever greater source of pleasure.
Fava bean risotto can be even a veggie recipe if you don’t add the fried ham on top, even if I recommend to enjoy the contrast between the creamy rice and the crispy ham… but coming from the “pork kingdom” (Bologna and close cities) I am clearly partisan.
In this recipe I have used frozen fava beans, but if you luckier than me and find the fresh ones, even better. Peeling the fava beans is a two-step activity, since first you need to remove them from the long pod and then remove their skin by blanching them in water. It is not the shortest task, but the effort will be rewarded… fava beans are simply delicious!
As usual, the mantecatura of the risotto is done with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Fava bean risotto
Equipment
- a pan to cook the rice
- a small pan to cook the fava bean
- a small pan to fry the ham
- a mixer
- a spoon
Ingredients
- 320 gr Carnaroli rice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnaroli
- 250 gr fava beans weight is for peeled ingredient (fresh or frozen)
- 80 gr ham in thin slices
- 1 lt vegetable broth
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/3 glass white wine
- 20 gr butter
- 20 gr grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- q.s. extra virgin olive oil
- q.s. salt
- q.s. black pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion
- In a pan, add extra virgin olive oil and brown the onion.
- When the onion is brown, add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes.
- Blend the toasted rice with the white wine. I suggest you use the one you will drink during the meal.
- When the wine is evaporated, add part of the vegetable broth. Heat is medium-low.
- While the rice is slowly cooking, start cooking the fava beans in a small pan. If the cooking time is 10 minutes, just cook them for 5 minutes, since they will finish coooking mixed with the rice.
- After 5 minutes, take half of the fava beans and make a cream adding some water and using a mixer.
- Add the remaining fava beans to the rice and go on cooking them, slowly adding the broth.
- In the meanwhile, use a small pan and some butter to fry the ham cut into small stripes.
- Add the fava bean cream and keep on cooking, gently mixing from time to time. Always add the broth in small amounts, so you can control the rice cooking.
- Last minutes of cooking for the rice.
- When it's almost done (at this point broth should be absorbed), turn off the heat, add the butter in this slices and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix with a spoon and cover the pan. This phase is called "mantecatura" in Italian.
- After 5 minutes the rice is creamy and ready. You can serve it adding some fried ham on top… and buon appetito!
I hope you will love this recipe as much as my wife does. If you are into risotto, on this blog you can find also my pumpkin risotto and a tasty sausage and barbera risotto. Enjoy!
Buon appetito!
2 Comments
Not sure it could work but I have to say this recipe is a wonderful surprise. The combination of the ingredients is fabulous!!
you have to trust me 😉