Fave e Lardo

Name: Fave e Lardo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sarda
Ingredients: 600 g fresh broad beans; 150 g lardo stagionato; 3 pieces Spring onions; 2 cloves Garlic; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 10 g Fresh mint leaves; 200 ml Water; 2 g Fine sea salt; 1 g Black pepper

Fresh broad beans gently stewed with cured pork fat, wild mint, and spring onions. In Sardinian Campidanese dialect it is known as fa e lardu.

🇮🇹Italy· Sardinia

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

600 g fresh broad beans — shelled weight, young and tender
150 g lardo stagionato — cured pork fatback, cut into thin strips or small dice
3 pieces Spring onions — trimmed and finely sliced
2 cloves Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — fruity Sardinian oil preferred
10 g Fresh mint leaves — wild field mint or garden mint, roughly torn
200 ml Water — or light vegetable broth
2 g Fine sea salt — to taste, adjust after lardo renders
1 g Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Terracotta pot or heavy saucepan
•Wooden spoon
•Chef's knife
•Chopping board

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 410 kcal
fat: 32 g
carbs: 18 g
fibre: 8 g
protein: 14 g
calories: 410 kcal

Instructions

1
Pod the fresh broad beans and peel off any tough outer skins if the beans are large.
2
Cut the cured pork fatback into thin strips or small neat cubes.
3
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy saucepan or terracotta pot over medium-low heat.
4
Add the diced lardo and cook gently until the fat renders and turns translucent.
5
Stir in the sliced spring onions and crushed garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant.
6
Tip in the shelled broad beans and stir well to coat them thoroughly in the pork fat.
7
Pour in the water, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
8
Cook for 20 minutes until the broad beans are tender but still retain their shape.
9
Uncover the pot, stir in the torn mint leaves, and simmer for another 3 minutes.
10
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper before serving warm.

Chef's tips

Pick small, young broad beans in early spring for tender skins that do not require double-podding. Fresh mint is vital to the dish because its herbal brightness cuts through the rich cured pork fat.

Ingredient substitutions

lardo stagionato → unsmoked pancetta tesa or guanciale, sliced into strips
fresh broad beans → frozen baby broad beans, thawed and drained

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until warmed through.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling too rapidly, which ruptures the skins and turns the tender broad beans into mush.
•Adding too much salt early before the cured pork fat has fully released its own seasoning.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm in shallow earthenware bowls with crisp sheets of pane carasau.Pair with a chilled glass of dry Sardinian Nuragus or Vermentino di Sardegna.