Fava Bean Pesto with Mint and Anchovy
This unusual pesto variation, adapted from a recipe by Colman Andrews in his book Flavors of the Riviera, cries out for grilled or roasted lamb, but you will discover many other ways to use it. In fact, it’s perfectly delicious on simple grilled bread with a glass of white wine or rosé.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Fill a medium saucepan with water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While the water is heating, shell the fava beans. Blanch the beans for a minute or two in the boiling water, drain, then shock them in ice water. Peel the skins and set the beans aside. Crush the garlic, mint, and basil with 1/4 teaspoon salt, using a mortar and pestle, then work in the anchovy fillets. Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil, then the fava beans, adding a third at a time. Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil, then the cheese, and finish with the oil. Season to taste. Alternatively, you can blend all the ingredients in a food processor, adding the oil last in a slow, steady stream while the motor is running.
