Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini

Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini

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Description

Springtime in Tuscany means eating young green fava beans with salty, nutty crumbles of Pecorino Toscano—a firm sheep's-milk cheese. That favorite snack was a jumping-off point for these savory little toasts. Fresh arugula, both puréed and roughly chopped, punctuates the spread with spice and texture. If you can't get your hands on fresh fava beans, frozen edamame work well, too.

Ingredients

1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (1 1/4 pounds in pods) or shelled fresh or frozen edamame (soybeans; 3/4 pounds in pods)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula (1 1/2 ounces), divided
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 baguette
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
16 mint leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
  2. Cook fava beans in boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins (if using edamame, don't peel).
  3. Pulse fava beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup arugula, cheese, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to favas in processor and purée until smooth. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop remaining cup arugula and gently fold into fava-bean mixture.
  4. Cut 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub with cut side of garlic.
  5. Spoon fava-bean mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.
  6. Fontaleoni Vernaccia di
  7. San Gimignano '07

Tags

    Bean Appetizer Quick & Easy Dinner Arugula Healthy Gourmet Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
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