Plated + Served: Pasta with Fresh Fava Beans, Peas and Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette
This is your reward for shelling all of those fava beans… (no, it’s not a private screening of “Silence of the Lambs”), it’s a cool pasta dish with all the bright nuances of summer.
The best part of this recipe is that you can swap out the major players (favas, peas and chives) and substitute whatever vegetable and herb is the seasonal star of the moment. The result is an exciting new dish with little effort.
And I think Hannibal Lecter would agree, this recipe pairs brilliantly with a nice Chianti… (sorry, I couldn’t help it!).
Pasta with Fresh Fava Beans, Peas and Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette
prep: 20 (after shelling)
cook: 15
you’ll need…
1 cup shelled and peeled fresh fava beans (about 2 to 3 lbs. whole fava bean pods)
1 cup shelled fresh English peas (about 1 lb. whole English pea pods)
2 packages (9 ounces) spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped chives, divided
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, divided
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
let’s get to it…
Boil a large pot of salted water. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Add the shelled and peeled fava beans and cook about 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer beans to the ice water and let cool 5 minutes and remove. Keep the water boiling.
Add the shelled peas to the boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer peas to the ice water and let cool 5 minutes. Keep the water boiling (add more water to the pot if necessary and return to a boil).
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Blend the lemon juice, half of the chives, half of the lemon zest and all of the garlic until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the blender on the lowest speed, add the oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the cooked and drained pasta in a large bowl and drizzle on half of the vinaigrette; toss gently. Fold in the beans and peas and add the remaining vinaigrette if desired. Garnish with remaining chives and lemon zest.
