Recipe of the week: Broad beans, mint and onions omelette

Some interesting facts. The fresh broad bean, Faba vulgaris, is the lightest and most digestible legume after the string bean. It can be eaten fresh as with pecorino and salami or base for a pesto; frozen to be boiled with onions and potatoes during the winter, often with the addition of tuna. It is also kept dry, based on soups and puree.

Rich in proteins, vegetable fibers and fat-free, it is a source of iron, folic acid and vitamin B1; it can cause, in people who lack an enzyme, a rare disease called "favism", developed mainly in Sardinia and in Greece, which causes serious anemias.

[Credit maggiorana persa]

Ingredients:

• Hullled broad beans, 350 grams
• Clean spring onions, 50 grams
• Grated Parmesan, 100 grams
• Eggs, 5
• Mint, leaflets to taste
• Salt
• Extra virgin oil

Method:

1. Parboil the harder beans for a few minutes, for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice the onions and cook them for 5-7 minutes with the beans and a round of oil.
3. Chop the mint and add it to the grated cheese.
4. When the beans are cold, add the lightly beaten eggs and the Parmesan. Season with salt.
5. Lightly oil a thick-bottomed pan and, when it is hot, pour the mixture.
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning the pan frequently.
7. With the help of a lid or a slightly greasy dish, turn the omelette over and cook for 5-7 minutes.
8. Dry the omelette on a sheet of kitchen paper and serve warm or cold.