Fava Bean Salad 🫛🧀

Pecorino Pepato, Lemon & Fresh Mint

This is one of those dishes that’s almost too simple - but when everything’s right, it hits exactly how it should.

Sweet favas, sharp pecorino, good olive oil, fresh mint, and a little lemon. That’s it.

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✨ This dish is built off three main foundations:

• Peak Ingredient Quality - nothing to hide behind here

• Salt + Acid Balance - lemon and pecorino doing the work

• Fresh Herb Finish - mint bringing everything to life

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🎥 Full recipe + technique for subscribers below! ↓

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Fava Bean Salad with Pecorino Pepato

Serves 4

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Ingredients 📋

• 3 lbs fresh fava beans in pods (~3 cups shelled)

• 1 lemon, juiced

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 6 oz Pecorino Pepato, shaved into shards

• ¼ cup fresh mint, torn

• Salt and black pepper

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Instructions 👇

Blanch the Beans

1. Bring salted water to a boil.

2. Blanch fava beans for 1 minute.

3. Transfer to ice water until completely cold.

4. Drain well.

Peel

1. Split the outer skin and pop out the bright green bean.

2. Discard skins.

Dress

1. Combine beans with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Toss gently.

Finish

1. Fold in pecorino shards.

2. Add torn mint just before serving.

3. Plate and drizzle with extra dressing.

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👨‍🍳 Inside Scoop with Chef Luke

• Buy Young Favas - smaller = sweeter and more tender

• Salt the Water Properly - flavor starts here

• Shard the Cheese - better texture, better bites

• Mint Goes Last - keep it fresh and aromatic

• Keep It Simple - nothing here should overpower

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🍷 Wine Pairing

Etna Bianco (Carricante) - Bright, mineral, and saline - perfect with pecorino and olive oil.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi - Almond, citrus, and savory notes that lift the greens.

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🛒 Shopping List

Produce

• Fava beans (3 lbs in pods)

• Lemon

• Fresh mint

Dairy

• Pecorino Pepato

Pantry

• Extra virgin olive oil

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Sweet, sharp, meaty, and finished with that clean hit of lemon - this one just keeps you going back for another forkful! 💛