Herbed Fava Beans With Pasta Recipes

HERBED PASTA PERFECTION

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and thyme; cook until garlic is light golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a whisk, mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture, wine, chicken bouillon and sugar to skillet. Bring wine mixture to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced by half, 2 - 5 minutes. Stir beans into sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
• 2. Add cooked, hot pasta to skillet; stir to coat completely with sauce. Divide pasta evenly among serving bowls. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

PASTA WITH FAVAS, SHRIMP, AND FRESH CHILE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Remove favas from outer pods and cook in a pot of salted boiling water until they float, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to ice-water bath; drain. Pinch tops of favas and squeeze out bright-green beans; you should have about 1 1/4 cups. (Blanched beans can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days, or frozen up to 3 months.)
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh, 8 to 10 minutes for dried. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat pancetta with 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add fava beans and stir to coat; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta and beans to a bowl.
• Return skillet to medium-high heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, flipping once, until garlic is golden and shrimp curl and just turn opaque, about 2 minutes (they will continue to cook as they mix with the hot pasta).
• Stir in sliced chile and fava-pancetta mixture. Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to skillet and cook, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add more pasta water, a spoonful at a time, and drizzle in a bit more oil if needed to create a silky sauce. Squeeze lemon over top and season to taste; serve immediately.

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.