Kusksu l-Forn (baked kusksu)
Kusksu is a traditional Maltese soup made with fava beans, Gozo 'ġbejniet' and pasta beads or 'kusksu' pasta. My Ch-eat here is turning this delicious soup into a baked casserole. I can assure you that the result is absolutely delicious. Ideally use fresh fava beans when they are in season but frozen or canned can work just fine too.
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Ingredients
1tsp Extra Virgin olive Oil
1 Onion
2 Carrots
100g Fava Beans
200g Cherry Tomatoes
100g Tomato Sauce (sugo or polpa)
1tbsp Tomato Paste (kunserva)
400g Pasta 'kusksu' beads
450ml Vegetable Stock
2 Eggs
20g Grated Parmesan
2 Fresh Gozo Cheeselets (ġbejniet)
Salt & Pepper
A dash of sugar
Directions:
1. Add the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion on medium-high heat until it's softened.
2. Add the chopped carrots. Cook for a while stirring frequently then add the chopped cherry tomatoes.
3. Cook until the tomatoes are soft then add the tomato paste and a dash of sugar.
4. Add the fava beans and tomato sauce, lower the flame and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper and add the pasta beads.
6. Add the vegetable stock and give it a good stir. Bring to a gentle boil then lower the heat as much as possible.
7. Keep simmering until all the water has been absorbed. Stir frequently to avoid the pasta from sticking to the bottom. This should take about 10 minutes.
8. When the water is absorbed turn off the heat and cover. Leave it covered until the pasta is soft and fully cooked. This should take about 5 minutes more.
9. When it's cooked, add the parmesan and add the whisked eggs. Mix well.
10. Dice the Gozo cheese and add to the mixture. Give it a gentle stir, avoid breaking the cheese.
11. Transfer to a non-stick baking dish. You can grease it or use baking paper too. TYop it with freshly ground pepper.
12. Bake in a preheated 180°c oven for about 40 minutes or until the top is a nice, crispy and lightly brown. If you prefer to make it darker, give it some extra time in the oven.
13. If served while it's still hot, it might separate a little. Leaving it to rest you will have a more compact result. Whatever you choose, I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as I did!
