Fava Beans with Sweet Peppers
Bean lovers will rejoice over this dish. Seasonal fava beans pair perfectly with the sweet red peppers. Serve this as a side dish, salad or even as a vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pound unshelled fava beans
- 1 large or 2 small sweet red peppers
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you remove the fava beans from their pods.
2. Meanwhile, roast the red peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning until all sides are uniformly charred. Remove from the heat and place in a paper or plastic bag until cool enough to handle. Remove all the charred skin, rinse the peppers and pat dry.
3. Slice into thin strips, then cut the strips into 1 - or 2-inch lengths.
4. Blanch the fava beans for 30 seconds, no longer, drain, and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Slip the beans out of their thick skins, and place in a bowl.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed lidded skillet and gently saute the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the fava beans and red peppers and stir together over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and the thyme, cover, and turn heat to low. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes (they are very good slightly crunchy and bright green; after they've cooked 5 minutes their color dulls and they become quite soft).
6. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, stir in the lemon juice, and serve.