Amore della Cucina : Pasta Fave

I love this pasta dish, so simple yet so hearty and comforting as it comes with it's own flavoursome broth.

Ideally to be made when broad beans are in season, which is usually around the beginning of spring in Italy. Broad beans are at their best when tender and small. I used to buy them by the carrier full to then pod them, beautifully fresh. Other times I would get given carriers of broad beans from the locals, those who had a little land to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

I would pod enough to make this dish, with plenty left to be eaten raw, accompanied with fresh rustic bread. If any left over after that, I would pod and bag up, ready to freeze, so to have broad beans throughout the year.

Photo by La Buongustaia

For 2 persons, all you need is a couple of tbsp of good olive oil.

1/2 a medium sized white onion finely chopped.

100g of Good quality frozen or freshly podded broad beans

125g of Pasta Lumache (Small snail shaped pasta).

1 Vegetable stock cube (Dado Star) used instead of salt.

* Optional, a tsp of lard. I use lard to add richness and depth.

Photo by La Buongustaia

In a small saucepan pour in the olive oil and add lard.

Sweat the finely chopped onion on a very gentle heat, until the onion softens and becomes translucent.

Stir in the podded broad beans and let them take on the flavour of the onion for about a minute or so.

Pour in enough water to cover the tops of the beans, I use cold.

Add vegetable stock and bring to a very gentle simmer. Leave on a simmer for 40/50 minutes, slightly covered.

Now cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water with the addition of sea salt. This time about 5g. We have added a vegetable stock cube to the beans which will bring this pasta dish plenty of flavour, without the need of additional salt.

When the pasta has almost cooked, drain and add to the beans.

Continue cooking the pasta with the beans until the pasta is 'al dente'.

Serve into deep dishes and....

Buon Appetito!