Name: Minestra di Riso e Fave (Rice and Broad Bean Soup)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 large onion; 115 g/4 oz/1 ¼ cups freshly grated pecorino cheese, to serve; sea salt and ground black pepper; 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup lard or white cooking fat; 30 ml/2 tbsp tomato paste; 200 g/7 oz/1 cup short grain rice; 300 ml/½ pint/1 ¼ cups hot water; 1 kg/2 ¼ lb (unshelled weight) fresh broad/fava beans; 1 litre/1 ¾ pints/4 cups boiling water; 25 g/1 oz unsalted butter

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Italian Regional Cookbook

By Valentina Harris

Published 2017

About

From springtime onwards, broad or fava beans are sold at roadside kiosks, which sporadically line the route from the airport into the heart of Rome. One of the most perfect flavour combinations in the world has got to be these fresh, tender beans coupled with soft and crumbly, incredibly strong-tasting pecorino cheese. Both reach their peak at the same time, when the ewes have plenty of milk available for their spring lambs, and extra for cheesemaking.