Risotto with mussels, fava beans, and pecorino

To prepare risotto with mussels, fava beans, and pecorino, first, focus on cleaning the mussels: Use the back of a knife or a scrub pad to remove impurities from the shell, then pull off the beard 1. Rinse thoroughly under running water until the water is clean. In a pan, flavor a little oil with parsley stems and garlic 2, then add the mussels 3.

Cover with a lid 4 and cook over high heat for a few minutes until the shells start to open. Remove the mussels from the pan as they open to avoid overcooking 5. Strain their water through a fine mesh sieve 6 and set aside.

Shell the mussels while they are still warm 7 and cover them with a few tablespoons of their cooking water to prevent them from drying out 8. Meanwhile, cook the fava beans in boiling water for about 3 minutes 9.

Drain them and immediately immerse in ice water 10, then peel them one by one 11. In the same water where you cooked the fava beans, add a few mussel shells 12 to make a broth that will be needed for cooking the risotto. Keep it warm.

Proceed to cook the risotto: pour the rice into a pot 13 and toast it dry until the grains become translucent and warm to the touch. Deglaze with white wine 14 and let the alcohol evaporate completely. Cook the rice by adding a ladle of hot broth at a time, filtering it through a sieve 15.

Meanwhile, season the fava beans with oil 16, salt, pepper 17, and grated lemon zest 18.

Flavor with lemon juice 19 and a few mint leaves 20. Stir everything together 21.

When the rice is halfway cooked, pour in 3-4 tablespoons of mussel water 22, being careful to adjust the amount according to the risotto's saltiness. Once the rice is al dente, remove the pot from the heat and add a tablespoon of mussel water 23, the mussels (reserving some for plating), and half of the fava beans 24.

Stir in the butter 25, a drizzle of oil 26, grated Parmesan, and pecorino 27.

Mix well 28 and plate. Finish with the reserved mussels and fava beans, a drizzle of oil, and a few mint leaves 29. Your risotto with mussels, fava beans, and pecorino is ready to be served 30!