When a recipe is more than just a Dish:
Macco di fave is more than a recipe. It’s a story of the earth, the seasons, and the people who knew how to live in balance with nature. At Three Farms Island, we honor this legacy through immersive cooking classes and Food Experiences in Sicily, where guests learn how to prepare macco the traditional way—slowly, mindfully, and with gratitude for the land.
While watching this episode of MAKKE – Peasant Food from Taste of History—a video that explores what the poor actually ate during the medieval period—Very good point. Most of the historical recipes we know come from the tables of princes and nobles, full of expensive spices and elaborate techniques. But this video asked the right question: what did common people eat?
That’s when I realized that the dish called in the video and coming from an old Medieval book MAKKE was in fact our macco—the same humble fava bean purée we still prepare today. It was deeply moving to recognize that this dish, which survived through oral tradition and everyday practice, is still served in countless trattorie and family kitchens across Southern Italy. And especially here in Sicily—in places like the Modica area—you can still find macco made the exact same way it has been for generations.
It’s not just food. It’s continuity. It’s memory served warm, with a drizzle of olive oil and a story in every spoonful.
Ancient Roots
Macco di fave dates back to the time of the Greeks and Romans. The name comes from the Latin maccare, meaning “to crush”—a reference to the mashed texture of slow-cooked fava beans. Ancient texts mention fava dishes eaten by Hercules himself to regain strength. Roman authors like Pliny the Elder and Varro describe a similar fava bean porridge known as puls fabata, considered the forerunner of today’s macco.
The dish is often linked to the town of Raffadali, in the Sicilian province of Agrigento—so much so that it’s nicknamed “u paisi du maccu”. But as often happens in agriculture and peasant culture, such a recipe doesn’t belong to just one place. It becomes the shared heritage of an entire community, passed on through generations, adapted to each region’s ingredients and rhythms.
That’s why we can confidently say that Southern Italy gave birth to this dish—a land where humble fava beans were transformed into nourishment, ritual, and memory.
Symbol of Peasant Resilience and Solidarity
Historically, macco di fave was known as “the meat of the poor”. In tough times, especially across rural Sicily, it was the main source of protein for peasant families. It was commonly shared in community meals, often served by landowners to field workers during the harvest season.
Its cultural significance goes beyond nutrition. Macco became a symbol of abundance and good fortune. In many Sicilian towns, it’s still the signature dish on March 19th, the feast of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph), prepared in large communal pots and offered to the poor as an act of charity and gratitude for the harvest.
It’s interesting also the practical aspect of that: usually March here is time of the new beans in the garden, so good time to finish the dry one making a MACCO using all of them
Pasta and Wild Herbs
The original recipe is minimalist: dried peeled fava beans slowly simmered in water until creamy. But over centuries, Sicilians enriched it with local herbs like wild fennel, leafy greens, onions, or sun-dried tomatoes. Each village developed its own twist
Today, at Three Farms Island, we celebrate the traditional version—simple, nourishing, and infused with wild fennel from our regenerative garden. For a heartier version, we often prepare pasta con il macco, where short pasta is added to the purée and finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Regional Variations: One Dish, Many Voices
- Sicily: The classic macco with wild fennel or wild bietole, often served with fresh pasta.
- Calabria: Known as “favi a maccu”, spiced with chili and tomatoes, and often topped with seasonal greens and grated pecorino.
- Puglia: A close cousin is fave e cicoria—a creamy purée served with sautéed wild chicory and local olive oil.
- Sardinia: The favata is a winter stew of fava beans, fennel, and pork cuts, showing the Mediterranean flair for hearty, seasonal meals.
These variations highlight the shared culinary roots of the Mediterranean and how each region makes this humble legume its own.
More Than a Dish: A Story of the Land
Macco di fave is more than a recipe. It’s a story of the earth, the seasons, and the people who knew how to live in balance with nature. At Three Farms Island, we honor this legacy through immersive cooking classes in Sicily, where guests learn how to prepare macco the traditional way—slowly, mindfully, and with gratitude for the land.
It’s deeply moving to realize that this dish has not only survived centuries of history but has done so almost untouched. It’s not an adaptation—it’s continuity. Making macco today the way it was made in medieval and ancient greek and roman times is not a nostalgic act—it’s an act of living memory. And that’s the kind of connection we love to share with our guests.
Join us for a cooking class in the Sicilian countryside and learn how to make macco di fave the traditional way—plant-based, nourishing, and 100% farm-to-table.
📍 Best cooking class in a farm in Sicily
🌱 Plant-based, authentic, and genuine Sicilian experience
🍽️ From our regenerative farm to your plate
👉 We offer this cooking class seasonally, as we only use fresh, locally grown ingredients from our farm and surroundings. Every dish is rooted in the rhythm of nature.
Traditional Sicilian Macco di Fave – Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 300 g dried peeled fava beans
- 1 liter water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- A handful of wild fennel (or substitute with fresh dill or fennel fronds)
- Salt to taste
Optional: sautéed onion or a few wild greens like bietola or chicory
Instructions:
- Rinse the dried fava beans and soak them in water overnight.
- Drain, rinse again, and place them in a large pot with fresh water.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Add salt and fennel.
- Cook slowly for 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans break down into a thick purée. Add water if needed.
- Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve hot, optionally with toasted rustic bread or a few greens on top.
Option: Cook some fresh or dried pasta on it just adding 10 min at the end.