Fava Bean Spread with Roasted Garlic Ricotta. #ottolenghi

It’s so easy eating green!
Adulterated from the fabulous Ottolenghi’s book Plenty More. ‘This Fava Bean Spread is the kind of dish that may replace guacamole as your go-to party dip. Love its citrusy flavours—lemon juice, strips of rind, and grated zest—as well as its hint of mint.

You need for 4 to 6 or 32 models:

1 head garlic (10 cloves), cloves separated, skin on
1/2 cup olive oil.
1 cup ricotta.
3 tabsp sour cream.
2 lemons, rind shaved in long strips from one,.
2 teasp. finely grated zest from the other.
600 g fava beans ( 400g shelled beans)
1 1/2 tabsp lemon juice.
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped, plus 1 tabsp. shredded mint leaves to garnish.
Salt and black pepper

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Mix the garlic cloves with 1 tsp of the olive oil, place on a baking sheet, and cook for 15 minutes, until soft.
• Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, squash the garlic out of its skin using the back of a fork.
• Discard the skins, place the flesh in a small bowl, and add the ricotta, sour cream, 1/4 tsp salt, and some black pepper.
• Use a whisk to mix everything together well and set aside.
• Place the remaining olive oil in a small saucepan with the shaved lemon rind.
• Place over medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat to cool and infuse.
• Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the fava beans, blanch for 1 minute, drain, and then remove them from their skins.
• Crush the beans with a fork, add all but 1 tbsp of the lemon-infused oil (removing the rind first), the lemon juice, the chopped mint, 1/2 tsp salt, and some black pepper and mix together.
• Spread the ricotta mix in a thin layer over the bottom of each serving plate or one larger platter.
• Spoon the fava bean mixture on top, lightly spreading it out to cover most of the ricotta.
• Sprinkle the shredded mint and grated lemon zest over the fava mixture and finish with a drizzle of the lemon-infused oil.