Scafata – Umbrian fava beans with chard, guanciale and tomatoes

Name: Scafata – Umbrian fava beans with chard, guanciale and tomatoes
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Umbrian
Ingredients: 600 g fresh young fava beans, shelled from their pods, with the thin seed skins left on; 350 g cleaned Swiss chard leaves, without thick leaf stalks or stems; 350 g ripe tomatoes, with skins, seeds and all their juice; 100 g trimmed spring onion, white and pale green parts; 100 g cured, unsmoked guanciale, weighed after removing the tough rind; 20 g extra-virgin olive oil: 15 g for frying and 5 g to finish; 300 g hot water: 200 g for stewing and up to 100 g to top up if needed; up to 3 g salt, depending on the saltiness of the guanciale; 0.5 g ground black pepper; 5 g fresh green fennel fronds; 5 g fresh mint leaves

Average rating

0.0

0 ratings

Prep

35 min

Cooking

55 min

Waiting

5 min

Total

1 h 35 min

Recipheon

Scafata – Umbrian fava beans with chard, guanciale and tomatoes

Author: Recipheon

Content prepared with AI assistance - Recipe reviewed by Recipheon

Servings: 4
Prep: 35 min
Cooking: 55 min
Waiting: 5 min
Total: 1 h 35 min

Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/main-dishes/scafata-umbrian-fava-beans-with-chard-guanciale-and-tomatoes

About this recipe

Scafata is an Umbrian dish of young fava beans, chard leaves and tomatoes stewed with guanciale and spring onion. It evokes spring garden vegetables and the region's simple cooking. This version uses fresh beans shelled from their pods, with their thin seed skins left on, and just the chard leaves. The guanciale releases its fat into the sauce, while green fennel fronds and mint add a fresh aroma. The vegetables go in one after another so the beans can soften and the tomatoes keep some distinct pieces. The finished scafata is juicy, but not a thin soup. After a short rest, it makes four light main-course servings.

Ingredients

Servings

Base: 4

For 4 light servings

600 g fresh young fava beans, shelled from their pods, with the thin seed skins left on
350 g cleaned Swiss chard leaves, without thick leaf stalks or stems
350 g ripe tomatoes, with skins, seeds and all their juice
100 g trimmed spring onion, white and pale green parts
100 g cured, unsmoked guanciale, weighed after removing the tough rind
20 g extra-virgin olive oil: 15 g for frying and 5 g to finish
300 g hot water: 200 g for stewing and up to 100 g to top up if needed
up to 3 g salt, depending on the saltiness of the guanciale
0.5 g ground black pepper
5 g fresh green fennel fronds
5 g fresh mint leaves

Steps

Weigh the fava beans after shelling them. Choose young beans with thin, tender skins; do not peel these skins off. Weigh the chard leaves after removing thick stalks and stems, then wash and cut into wide strips. Slice the spring onion, cut the guanciale into small cubes, and chop the tomatoes, keeping all their juice. Chop the fennel fronds and mint separately.
Bring about 1 L unsalted water to a boil in a pot, for blanching only. Add the beans and cook for about a minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain in a strainer and discard the blanching water; do not use it for stewing. Leave the thin skins on the beans. Separately prepare the weighed hot water from the ingredient list.
In a wide lidded pot holding about 4 L, heat 15 g olive oil over medium heat. Add the spring onion and fennel fronds and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens. Add the guanciale and fry for another 4–5 minutes to render its fat and lightly brown the pieces. Keep all the fat in the pot.
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Add the drained beans and gently stir with the contents of the pot for 1–2 minutes. Pour in 200 g hot water, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and stew over low heat for about 10 minutes. Gently move the contents with a spoon now and then. Keep the remaining 100 g water for topping up if needed.
Add the sliced chard leaves, in two batches if needed, letting the first wilt a little. Stir gently, cover and stew for 10–15 minutes until the leaves soften. If the liquid starts running low, add a little of the reserved hot water before the vegetables stick.
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Add the tomatoes with all their juice and stir gently. Stew with the lid slightly ajar for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes partly break down and the fava beans are fully cooked and tender, including their skins. Extend the cooking if needed and gradually add as much of the reserved water as necessary. Keep the sauce juicy, without scorching; leave any unused water out of the dish.
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Taste the vegetables and season with as much of the prepared salt as needed and all the pepper. Leave unused salt out of the dish. Turn off the heat and stir in all the mint and the remaining 5 g olive oil. Do not pour off any sauce or rendered fat.
Leave the pot covered for about 5 minutes. Divide the beans, vegetables, guanciale and all the sauce among four deep plates. Serve warm, keeping the tender beans whole and the tomato pieces among the chard leaves.