How to cook broad beans

Broad beans, already known to the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, have always been used by the people of the past to "fill up" on vitamins and fibre; low in fat, they are now preferred in low-calorie diets (100 grams of beans contain just 71kcal).

The most common variety of broad bean is the Baggiana, characterised by a short, broad pod with large, flattened seeds. Less well known is the Reina Mora, which is characterised by a purplish grain, as well as the Aguadulce supersimonia with long pods and large seeds with a very delicate flavour.

In spring, when broad beans are in season, they are among the most common ingredients in recipes. They are often eaten raw, freshly shelled, together with a few pieces of pecorino cheese and home-made bread, or in salads, a typical peasant recipe; to prepare broad beans and pecorino cheese salad, just put the broad beans in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes (which you can avoid if the beans are particularly fresh), drain them and run them under cold running water, then peel them and put them in a bowl with granulated garlic, extra virgin olive oil, a few mint leaves, flakes of pecorino cheese, salt and pepper. For a richer variation, you can add tuna to the broad bean salad.

Broad beans baked and stewed

Broad beans can also be cooked in the oven to accompany potatoes or boiled vegetables. Simply place the beans in an oven pre-heated to 180° C, drizzle with a little oil and a few leaves of chopped parsley and leave to cook for 20-25 minutes before serving. To prepare stewed broad beans, brown a clove of garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, then add the broad beans seasoned with salt, pepper and wild fennel and allow them to take on flavour for a few minutes before adding a few ladles of hot water. Leave the broad beans to cook over a low flame with a lid on for about fifteen minutes. The stewed broad beans can also be used as a pasta dish.

Another delicious dish to prepare using broad beans is Risotto with cuttlefish; the Vignarola, a typical Roman dish prepared by putting together guanciale, spring onions, peas, fresh broad beans, pecorino cheese and mint; another typical Apulian dish is broad beans con with chicory: the dried broad beans, which have been soaked in water for 8 hours, are boiled and blended with salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The broad bean puree thus obtained is then served with blanched chicory and dressed with raw oil.