Creamy Broad Bean Fava Pasta Food

HERBED FAVA BEANS WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water; let cool about 5 minutes (keep the pot of water boiling). Drain the beans, then peel off their skins (they should slip right off). Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Heat the olive oil, garlic, mint sprigs, parsley sprigs and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the favas and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the favas are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, 8 to 10 minutes; discard the garlic and herb sprigs.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and cook, tossing until it absorbs some of the sauce, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, chopped mint and parsley, reserved scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more cooking water to loosen, if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Tip: If you can't find fresh fava beans, use frozen shelled and skinned ones and blanch as directed.

CACIO E PEPE WITH PEAS AND FAVAS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepot of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with water and ice and set a fine mesh strainer in the bowl. (Be sure to keep ice out of strainer.) Blanch peas for 30 seconds and use a slotted spoon to transfer peas to strainer in ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes and pull up strainer to drain peas. Repeat process with fava beans, cooking for 1 minute. (You can use same pot of boiling water that you used for peas.) When fava beans have been blanched and cooled, slip off peels.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add pepper and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking water and the remaining butter to pan. Stir until butter is melted and sauce begins to thicken, about 30 seconds.
• Add cooked pasta, pecorino and Parmesan and toss until cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Add peas and fava beans. Toss very well to coat, adding more pasta water if pan seems dry. Season with salt to taste. To serve, sprinkle each portion with more pecorino and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with chives.

CREAMY BROAD BEAN (FAVA) PASTA

Steps:

• Boil the broad beans for about 10 minutes. Then plunge in cold water and take the beans out of their skins.
• Put the pasta on to boil, for about 8 minutes (until al dente). I skin the beans while I'm boiling the pasta.
• Melt the butter and olive in a large pan or wok, saute the onions until soft and starting to brown.
• Add the pasta and beans to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the cream, bring to the boil.
• Add parsley, nutmeg, season generously with salt and pepper.

CREME DE FAVAS / PORTUGUESE FAVA (BROAD) BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Skin the fava beans (broad beans) and cook them in the chicken stock until they are soft and cooked though.
• Blend, sieve or liquidize, the cooked mixture adding as little olive oil as possible to get a smooth consistency. Add pepper and salt to taste.
• Serve topped with croutons.

BROAD BEAN PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the beans for 3 mins until just tender. Remove to a bowl of ice-cold water using a slotted spoon to halt the cooking process.
• Set the pan back on the heat, tip in the pasta and cook following pack instructions. Meanwhile, pop the beans out of their skins so you're left with the bright green beans, and set aside. (This is optional, but the colour, texture and flavour is improved. Discard the skins.)
• Heat a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta for 5-7 mins until crisp and golden. Drain the broad beans and add to the pancetta along with the lemon zest and mint. Squeeze over one of the lemon halves and season well. Cook for 1-2 mins to warm through, then remove from the heat.
• Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of the water, then return to the pan along with the pancetta and broad bean mixture, the ricotta and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Mix together, adding more of the reserved water if needed to create a slightly glossy sauce. Divide the pasta between bowls, squeeze over the remaining lemon half and scatter with the parmesan, if you like.

PASTA WITH FAVA BEANS AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Shell fava beans and cook in a medium pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes.
• Drain and immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water.
• Peel off outer skins of beans---there is a dark green, thick ridge on the rounded side of the bean-starting there, pinch the skin and pull it open, once the skin opens a bit you can squeeze the bottom and the bean slips out into your bowl.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente (you definitely don't want to overcook the pasta for this dish).
• Reserve a half cup of the water the pasta has cooked in and drain pasta in colander, you don't have to worry about excess water in the "little ears" as it will help tie the pasta sauce together.
• Return pot to medium heat, add butter and garlic, cook until garlic is soft.
• Add half-and-half, heat one minute.
• Stir in lemon juice, zest and pepper.
• Add pasta and cheese, stirring until pasta is coated and cheese is melted.
• Add favas and toss, adding a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water if pasta seems dry (the starch from the cooking water will help make the sauce creamy, it shouldn't seem sticky).
• Serve immediately in warm bowls, garnishing with mint if desired.