Rooted in the traditions of Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily, macco di fave, a fava bean purée, was once a dish that peasants turned to for sustenance at the end of a long day.
Macco and vegetables, not to betray the tradition
At first glance, macco di fave resembles a soft mash, generally accompanied by sautéed chicory or herbs and maybe some cooked turnips. To make macco di fave, the fava beans are first reduced to a cream, then flavored with delicious wild fennel and served with a portion of boiled vegetables browned with oil, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
For a heartier version, the fava bean purée is diluted with water and a short pasta variety, like penne or farfalle, is added. Also, macco di fave has traditionally been considered an auspicious dish for locals – landowners would offer it to their farmers at the end of the fava bean harvest to celebrate a job well done.
Macco di Fave Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb. shelled fava beans
1 carrot, washed and sliced in rounds
1 celery stack, washed and sliced in rounds
3 onions, finely chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt
pepper
wild fennel
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, blanch the wild fennel for a few minutes and remove. Set the water aside.
In the meantime, fry the chopped onions in a saucepan with a little olive oil together with the clove of garlic, celery, and carrot. When all ingredients turn golden brown, add the fava beans and cover with the hot water in which the wild fennel cooked.
Stir to combine until the fava beans you can mash the fava beans with a spoon ("maccare" means to mash in Italian). Once the beans reduce to a cream, add salt and pepper.
Mix well, garnish with a drizzle of oil, some wild fennel, and serve immediately. If desired, accompany the macco di fave with some toasted bread crostini greased in a little oil.
Check out the above slideshow for some tips and alternative ideas.