CREAMY RAVIOLI WITH FAVA BEANS AND SPECK

Nonna’s Handmade Stuffed Pasta with Melting Hearts

There’s something undeniably magical about homemade ravioli - especially when they hide a creamy, savory filling that melts with every bite.

These ravioli, bursting with the earthy sweetness of fava beans and the gentle smokiness of speck, are a seasonal treat that brings a taste of the Italian countryside to your plate. It’s the kind of comforting but refined pasta that would proudly appear on Nonna’s Sunday table.  

Ideal for springtime lunches or festive dinners, this recipe pairs beautifully with a glass of Chianti or another light red wine, which cuts through the richness of the filling and enhances the natural sweetness of the beans.  

The combination of fava beans and speck is rooted in Italian seasonal cooking, especially in regions like Tuscany and Trentino-Alto Adige, where cured meats meet spring vegetables in perfect harmony. These ravioli feel both rustic and luxurious—a dish that satisfies the soul as much as the appetite.  

Fava beans are a nutrient powerhouse, rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. When blended, they add a creamy texture without needing much added fat. Speck, a lightly smoked ham from northern Italy, offers flavor in small quantities while contributing lean protein.

A little history

Stuffed pasta is a pillar of Italian culinary heritage, and ravioli - dating back to at least the 14th century - are one of its most iconic expressions. The practice of filling pasta with seasonal vegetables, meats, and cheeses has always reflected Italy’s agrarian roots and regional pride.  

Fava beans have been cultivated in Italy since Roman times and often symbolize springtime abundance. Combining them with speck, a cured ham from the Alpine north, reflects a blending of central and northern Italian traditions.  

These ravioli are a beautiful example of how traditional Italian food evolves: maintaining its roots while embracing new textures, contrasts, and harmonies.  

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INGREDIENTS👇🏻

For the filling:

• 500ml | 500g | 17.6oz boiled potato

• 50g | 1.8oz parmigiano cheese

• 5g | 0.2oz fresh parsley

• 1 clove of garlic

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

• Extra virgin olive oil  

For the pasta:

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 200g | 7.1oz plain flour

• Coarse sea salt in boiling water  

For the broth & sauce:

• 400g | 14.1oz fava beans

• 1 carrot

• 1 onion

• 1 celery stalk

• 1 sprig of parsley

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• Sea salt to taste

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 50g | 1.8oz sliced speck

• 40g | 1.4oz pecorino cheese

• Extra virgin olive oil

The recipe step by step

1. For the filling: peel, boil and mash the potatoes into a bowl

2. Chop the fresh parsley, mince the garlic and add them to the bowl with parmigiano cheese, sea salt, a scrunch of black pepper and a generous glug of olive oil

3. Fold the mix thoroughly before filling your piping bag with it  

4. For the pasta: place the flour on your working top and create the classic volcano shape

5. Place the eggs in the middle of the volcano and whisk the flour in with a fork little by little until the eggs will no longer be runny

6. Then knead by hand for about 10 minutes, or until reaching a smooth dough

7. Cover it with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes

8. Cut the dough in three parts, dust the working top with flour and roll each part of dough to a pasta sheet 1,5mm | 0.06” thick

9. Along the length of each pasta sheet pipe 5 or 6 small amounts of filling on one side

10. Wet with a few drops of water the edges of the pasta sheet and in between each filling amount, to help you seal the pasta in place

11. Fold the other side of the pasta sheet over and press delicately, but firmly in between the ravioli and along all the edges, to get rid of air pockets

12. Cut in between each raviolo and trim the excess pasta if needed, then press a fork along all 4 edges of each raviolo to seal the pasta completely

13. Bring the water to a boil and add coarse sea salt, but only cook the ravioli for 4 minutes once you have completed the sauce  

14. For the broth & sauce: boil the fresh fava beans for 5-6 minutes, if you are using dry fava beans they will have to be soaked overnight before boiling them

15. Rinse and deshell the beans keeping the shells aside for the broth

16. Add the shell in a pot with celery, carrot, onion and a sprig of parsley

17. Season with sea salt and black peppercorns, and boil for 30 minutes, then set aside

18. When the broth has cooled down, add the fava beans in a mixer with 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 ladles of broth, and whizz until reaching a creamy consistency

19. Pour a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil in a hot pan and sizzle the sliced speck, using a weight on top to avoid the slices to curl

20. Use some parchment paper between the speck and the weight, and cook until crispy

21. Remove the slices of speck and set aside to cool down

22. Add the fava bean cream in the same pan with the speck drippings and add broth as necessary to make the cream softer

23. After cooking the ravioli for 4 minutes, add them to the pan to sauté until fully cooked, adding more broth as necessary, and folding delicately to avoid braking the ravioli

24. Remove the pan from the heat and crush the crispy speck on the creamy ravioli

25. Sprinkle the pecorino cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top before serving… then enjoy! 😋