Hearts of Butter Lettuce with Fava Beans and Pecorino Pepato
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 large shallot, minced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fava beans, shelled
- 2 heads butter lettuce
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 2 ounces Pecorino Pepato or Manchego cheese
- To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and shallot.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Let stand for 30 minutes to allow the shallot flavor to mellow.
- Taste and adjust the balance as needed.
- Blanch the fava beans in a large pot of boiling water until tender (remove one, peel, and taste to be sure), 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to ice water to stop the cooking.
- Drain again.
- Remove outer skin, which should slip off easily.
- Remove the outer green leaves from each head of butter lettuce until you reach the pale green heart.
- (Save the outer leaves for sandwiches or other uses.)
- Wash the hearts, tear the leaves into smaller pieces, and dry thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, toss the butter lettuce and 1 tablespoon of the parsley with all but 2 teaspoons of the dressing.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide leaves among 4 salad plates or arrange on a large platter.
- With a cheese plane, shave the pecorino into thin shards.
- Break up the shards by hand if large and scatter over the lettuce.
- Toss the fava beans with the remaining 2 teaspoons of dressing; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scatter the fava beans over the salad, then garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley.
- Serve immediately.
extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallot, salt, freshly ground black pepper, beans, butter, italian parsley, pepato
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/hearts-of-butter-lettuce-with-fava-beans-and-pecorino-pepato (may not work)