Crostini with Fava Bean and Mint Puree
Welcome the arrival of spring with this pretty, pale-green dip that takes advantage of the brief fava bean season. Here we serve it on garlicky crostini, but it’s equally delicious served with crisp crudités or tossed with fusilli, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and zucchini for a substantial pasta salad.
Ingredients
For the crostini:
- 1 baguette, cut on the diagonal into slices 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
For the puree:
- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) fava beans in their pods
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet (you may need to use 2 baking sheets). Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until lightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully rub the cut sides of the garlic cloves onto the warm crostini. Discard the remaining garlic and arrange the crostini on wire racks to let cool.
While the crostini are toasting, shell the fava beans. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold running water until cool. Remove the outer skin from each bean by pinching it between your fingers. You should have about 2 cups shelled and skinned beans.
In a Vitamix blender, combine the fava beans, olive oil, Parmesan, mint, garlic and lemon juice. Blend on high speed until very smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the container as needed. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, spread the puree on the crostini, drizzle lightly with olive oil and garnish with a mint leaf. Makes about 30 crostini; serves 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen