Pesto di fave is a delicious pesto made from fava beans and it comes from Liguria in Northern Italy. Fava beans are at their peak season around Easter time, and so it is no surprise that fava bean pesto is a popular dish on the Italian Easter menu. In fact, it is very common to eat it at the typical Italian Eater Monday picnic. Often as a bright fresh spread on some bruschetta or crostini. But Fava bean pesto is delicious at any time. Whether you use freshly picked fava beans when they are in season during the Spring. Or whether you make it from frozen fava beans.
What Is Fava Bean Pesto?
At its simplest, pesto di fave is a bright green spread or sauce made from fresh fava beans. They are mashed together with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, grated parmigiana cheese, and fresh mint. It has a creamy yet slightly grainy texture. And it has a rich, nutty flavor balanced by the grassy freshness of spring mint.
Liguria is best know for another pesto: the famous pesto alla genovese, made from basil and pine nuts. But pesto di fave is something of a local secret in Liguria. Here, this fava bean pesto defines the season’s first truly green dish.
A Short History of Fava Bean Pesto
Fava beans are also known as broad beans. They have grown in Ligurian soil for thousands of years. Farmers plant them in winter, and by late March or early April, they reach peak tenderness. Just in time for Easter.
Historically, Ligurians saw fava beans as a symbol of fertility and rebirth. Their arrival in Spring marked the end of the lean winter months and the beginning of seasonal abundance. And so it was natural that they incorporated fava beans into their Easter meals.
The earliest references to fava bean spreads in Ligurian cookbooks appear in the late 18th century. Peasants and farmers would shell and mash the beans by hand. Then mix them with garlic and oil. They would then serve the fava bean pesto on crusty bread or alongside torte salate—savory pies filled with greens and cheese. Over time, this rustic preparation turned into the smoother, cheesier pesto di fave known today.
A Ligurian Easter Tradition
Liguria has a unique geography. It has a narrow strip of land wedged between the Apennine mountains and the sea that has shaped its cuisine. Space is tight and so terraced gardens dot the hillsides. Local ingredients drive every seasonal dish.
During Easter, Ligurians gather with family on Easter Sunday for a formal meal. They serve torta pasqualina, a savory pie filled with ricotta, spinach, and whole eggs. But the true celebration happens the next day: Pasquetta, or Easter Monday.
Pasquetta means picnics. Families head to the countryside or the seaside with baskets full of hard-boiled eggs, focaccia, salami, olives, and—always—pesto di fave. This fava bean pesto travels well and pairs beautifully with slices of crusty bread or spoonfuls of prescinseua (a local soft cheese similar to ricotta).
Bringing pesto di fave to the Pasquetta picnic isn’t just a culinary decision—it’s a tradition. It links each generation to the land, the season, and the enduring rhythm of Ligurian life.
Pesto di Fave Serving Suggestions
There are many ways you can enjoy this traditional Italian Easter recipe:
- On toasted bread – my favourite way to east fava bean pesto is as a picnic snack, spread on slices of pane rustico, crostini or bruschetta.
- With fresh cheeses – Locals spoon it over prescinseua or soft goat cheese.
- With pasta – Though less traditional, some use it as a light sauce for trofie or trenette.
- Easter Picnic – During Pasquetta, people eat it cold or at room temperature, often with hard-boiled eggs or slices of Easter torta salata.
Pesto di fave captures everything beautiful about Ligurian food: its simplicity, its connection to the land, and its Easter connection. This Easter, try making pesto di fave part of your celebration. Take it on a picnic, share it with friends, or enjoy it at home with family. Either way, you’ll be joining a tradition that stretches back centuries and still thrives in Liguria.
Buona Pasqua e buon appetito! 🇮🇹
More Liguria Recipes
- Buridda di Seppie – Liguria’s seafood stew of cuttlefish, peas and potatoes. A dish from the fishing villages of the Ligurian coast.
- Funghi alla Genovese – sauteed mushrooms in the Genoese style with butter, olive oil, garlic and fresh oregano.
- Asparagus Risotto – a creamy Ligurian asparagus risotto, simple and seasonal.
Pesto di Fave – Fava Bean Pesto
Equipment
- Grater
- Pestle and Mortar
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 225 grams fava beans ((after shelling))
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp mint leaves (washed and finely chopped)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100 grams parmesan (grated)
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the fava beans, garlic and cheese with half the oil and half the lemon juice, mint and a good pinch of salt then mash or blend with a pestle and mortar or a food processor.
- Taste the pesto and add more lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste.
- Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil then serve.
Notes
- Serve on crostini or bruschetta.
- Stir through pasta for a quick simple pasta dish.
- Make the fava bean pesto a day or two in advance, It will keep well in the fridge for a day or two.
