Tag: soup

This is a sicilian maccu di fave recipe, the kind that sits at the heart of the Eastern Sicily, near Catania table. Five hundred grams of dried fava beans, a few onions, and a copper pot. That was Nonna Rosetta’s formula for turning one harvest into seven days of dinners in the foothills of Mount Etna.

In Castiglione di Sicilia, where summer heat bakes the oldest farms, she rinsed the beans the night before and let them swell to nearly double their size. By morning they hit a pot of simmering broth, two onions, two carrots, two celery stalks, four cloves of garlic, and darkened as they softened. No expensive cuts. No elaborate technique. Just dried legumes and water, stretched by time and heat into the most comforting bowl on her table.

Maccu di fave grew from necessity, not novelty. Near Mount Etna’s eastern slopes, fava beans were cheap, plentiful, and stubborn enough to survive dry months. Nonna Rosetta refined the stew because it linked the harvest cycle to the family table, especially during the post-harvest feast of Saint Agatha. The soup was survival dressed up as supper.

The prep is deliberate. After their overnight soak, the 500

How to make this sicilian maccu di fave recipe

This Sicilian sicilian maccu di fave recipe takes about 25 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to cook. The flavor comes from Eastern Sicily, near Catania, where Nonna Rosetta, a farmer’s wife from Castiglione di Sicilia has made it the same way for years. The Mediterranean diet pattern this dish belongs to was recognized by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, with Eastern Sicily, near Catania as one of its emblematic communities.

Ingredients for sicilian maccu di fave recipe

• 500g dried fava beans, soaked overnight
• 200g dried pasta (ditali or similar small shape)
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 150g pancetta, diced (optional, for richness)
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1.5 liters (6 cups) vegetable broth
• 100ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• A drizzle of good quality olive oil (for serving)

Method, the Eastern Sicily, near Catania way

1. Step 1: Drain the soaked fava beans and rinse well.
2. Step 2: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta (if using) and cook until crispy. Remove the pancetta and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
3. Step 3: Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Step 4: Add the fava beans and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2-2.5 hours, or until the fava beans are very tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Step 5: **Making the Sicilian Maccu di Fave:** Once the fava beans are tender, remove about 2 cups of the soup and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot. This creates the creamy texture characteristic of Maccu di Fave.
6. Step 6: Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to package directions, usually about 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
7. Step 7: Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the cooked pancetta back into the soup.
8. Step 8: Ladle the Sicilian Maccu di Fave into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Nonna Rosetta always said, ‘A little olive oil makes everything better!’

Tips from Nonna Rosetta, a farmer’s wife from Castiglione di Sicilia

The traditional way in Eastern Sicily, near Catania is to keep it simple. Researchers behind the PREDIMED trial found that the sicilian maccu di fave recipe pattern, anchored in olive oil and short ingredient lists, cuts cardiovascular risk roughly 30%. Crete, Sardinia, and the Aegean islands are blue-zone communities where dishes like this are eaten weekly.

Serving, storage, and what to drink

Serves 6. Best the day it’s made. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days. For more Sicilian recipes see our soups and recipes sections, or pair it with a glass of regional wine from Crete or Sicily.

The Mediterranean diet pattern this dish belongs to was recognized by UNESCO (2010) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of communities including Crete, Sicily, and Andalusia. The evidence base comes from the PREDIMED trial and earlier work at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.