Fava And Fresh Ricotta Crostini

1. 1

   To make the ricotta, pour the milk into a minimum capacity 3-quart non-reactive saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until it just begins to boil, keeping a close eye so that the pot does not boil over. Cut the heat, add in the salt and vinegar or lemon juice, and stir briefly to combine and dissolve the salt. Resist the urge to keep stirring.

2. 2

   You should start to see a separation of solids and whey in a minute or so. Allow the mixture to sit for another 30 minutes. In the meantime, line a fine strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place the strainer over a large bowl.

3. 3

   Pour the ricotta solids into the strainer. Let the cheese drain for 15 to 60 minutes; the longer the draining time, the denser and thicker the cheese. Keep from poking at or pressing or otherwise touching the cheese while it drains. Transfer the cheese to a dish when the preferred consistency is reached. Discard the whey or reserve it for soup or breadmaking.

4. 4

   To roast the favas, preheat oven to 425u00b0 F. Rinse and pat dry the whole fava bean pods. Put them on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to lay them in single layer. Toss them with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5. 5

   Roast the beans for about 10 minutes, tossing them once during cooking. You don't want too much color on them -- just a slight softening of the pods' texture. The residual heat will continue to cook the beans in their pods even after they're out of the oven.

6. 6

   Remove the tray from the oven and allow they beans to cool until they can handled with bare hands. Remove the beans from the pods, then remove the beans from the individual shells, and set them aside in a bowl. (I find that pinching off a tiny piece of the shell at the seam and then squeezing them out works well.)

7. 7

   Season the beans with lemon zest and juice, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

8. 8

   Toast or grill the bread. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta on each toast, then divide the favas evenly over the ricotta. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Serve right away.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.