Giovanna Bellia La Marca

Fava Bean Puree

Maccu ri favi

Preparation info
  • Serves

    6 to 8

    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in
Sicilian Feasts
Sicilian Feasts

By Giovanna Bellia La Marca

Published 2023

  • About

Purists like their maccu plain. In my hometown of Ragusa, it’s such a favorite dish that we are often called Rausani mangia maccu, or Ragusani, the eaters of maccu.

Fava beans must soak overnight, so plan ahead.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried whole or dried split and skinned fava beans, soaked overnight
  • ¼ cup

Method

Drain the soaked fava beans, rinse, and drain again. If using whole beans, slip the skins off. Place beans in a heavy bottomed pot, add 6 cups cold water, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 1 to 1½ hours or until they can be crushed with a fork against the side of the