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Toasted Shell Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks. 

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 cups frozen green fava or other shell beans (12 ounces)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 large shallots
  • 2 pints ripe cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup white wine or water
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Put 3 cups frozen fava beans on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to coat, then spread them into a single layer. Don’t wait for the oven to reach 425°F; just put the pan in. Roast the favas, turning them with a spatula once or twice, until they’re browned and crunchy in places, 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Peel the shallots and slice thinly crosswise; separate the rings as best you can. (It’s fine if they’re not perfect.)
    Trim any tough stem ends from the tomatoes.
  3. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the shallots and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer them all (every bit if you can) to a small plate with a slotted spoon; turn the heat to high.
  4. Chop 1/2 cup parsley.
  5. When the oil is smoking hot, add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. As the tomatoes sputter and start to darken in spots, adjust the heat to medium; shake the pan occasionally for even browning until they split and release some juice, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking and stirring until the tomatoes soften and the liquid thickens, another minute or two.
  6. As soon as the fava beans are ready, remove them from the oven and sprinkle with just a little salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes into the favas along with the shallots and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature, drizzled with more olive oil.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Blistered Whole Fava Beans and Cherry Tomatoes It’s a kitchen miracle when you discover that the whole fava bean—yes, the gnarly pods full of skin-on beans that hit stores and markets in spring and early summer—is edible. Better than that, it’s delicious. Figure about 2 pounds whole fava beans serves 4. Turn the oven on, then trim the beans by cutting almost through the toughest end and pulling the string down the length of the bean (similar to stringing sugar snap or snow peas). Cut off any black bits and scrub well. Toss the pods with the oil and roast as described in Step 1; they’ll take about the same amount of time. Continue with the recipe. When the beans are fork-tender and golden in places, chop them crosswise into bite-sized pieces and stir them into the skillet with the tomatoes. Substitute fresh mint for the parsley if you like.

Roasted Mature Fava Beans with Cherry Tomatoes These are the large brown fava beans common to all parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East. You rarely see either the canned or dried kind in supermarkets, so when you see ’em—sometimes labeled “foul” or “ful”—grab some. (Or try a Mediterranean grocery.) Follow the main recipe, substituting 3 1/2 cups cooked or rinsed and drained canned beans for the green favas. They won’t get crunchy but will develop a golden crust. Use fresh dill or parsley to finish— your choice, as is a dollop of yogurt.

Roasted Cannellini with Cherry Tomatoes Follow the main recipe. Substitute 1 cup (at least) whole fresh basil leaves for the parsley. Substitute 3 1/2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans for the favas. They won’t get crunchy but will develop a golden crust. Either drizzle with more olive oil or shave some Grana Padano or pecorino Romano cheese on top before serving.