Pasta with Fava bean pesto is a fresh dish, typically featuring short pasta tossed in a bright green pesto made from fava beans (broad beans), combined with basil, garlic, Parmesan and Pecorino cheese, extra-virgin olive oil and walnuts.
It’s a seasonal springtime favorite, offering a delicious and slightly sweet flavor, surprisingly easy to make.
This recipe is not only bursting with flavor but also comes together in a flash, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal or an elegant light lunch.
Creamy and delicious first course, perfect for enhancing the fresh and delicate flavor of seasonal fava beans and ideal for a family lunch or a dinner with friends.
Let’s see how to make the Pasta with Fava bean pesto recipe! So let’s get started.
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Ingredients
For the Pesto
For the Pasta
Steps
1) Prepare the pesto
First, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shelled broad (fava) beans and blanch them for 2-3 minutes until they turn bright green. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve their color. If you use young and tender fava beans, as in my case, you can skip blanching.
Once the fava beans are cool enough to handle, gently squeeze each bean to pop it out of its outer skin. This step makes the pesto smoother and more tender. It might seem tedious, but it’s worth the effort!
In a food processor, combine the blanched and peeled fava beans, extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan and Pecorino cheese, basil leaves, garlic, salt and walnuts (or pine nuts). Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add salt if necessary and oil.
2) Cook the pasta
While the pesto is being made, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Then, put a large enough pan on the heat, add the broad bean pesto (in the quantity you want) and a ladle of the pasta cooking water: mix well to make the sauce creamier.
Finally, drain the pasta al dente and pour it directly into the pan with the sauce, add a sprinkling of parmesan (or pecorino), a drizzle of extravirgon olive oil and stir for a few minutes. Here it is. Pasta with Fava bean pesto is ready. Enjoy this vibrant and flavorful taste of spring!
Buon appetito
Storage
You can store Pasta with Fava bean pesto in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, closed in an airtight container. Before eating add a little pasta cooking water or extravirgin olive oil when reheating to restore its creaminess.
Freezing is not generally recommended, as the pasta texture can become mushy after thawing.
Tips and Tricks
– Top your pasta with extra grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino), a drizzle of olive oil, fresh mint or basil leaves, toasted nuts (pine nuts, slivered almonds, or chopped pistachios), or even some reserved whole fava beans.
– Consider adding sautéed cherry tomatoes, blanched asparagus, or peas to the pasta for extra flavor and color.
– You can add cooked pancetta, bacon, guanciale, shrimp, or grilled chicken to make it a more substantial dish.
– For a dairy-free version, omit the cheese and consider adding nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
– Fava bean pesto is also delicious as a spread on bruschetta, as a dip for vegetables, or as an accompaniment to roasted meats or fish.
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Varied doses for servings
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