Kuchnia

Fava Bean and Arugula Pesto Orecchiette

Ingredients:



2 cups orecchiette
3/4 cup fava beans*
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup Arugula pesto
1 tablespoon minced fresh peppermint
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of red pepper flakes

* If you don’t have favas, you can substitute with fresh or frozen peas

Arugula Pesto

Ingredients:

4 cups packed arugula
1 cup Parmesan cheese; cut in cubes
Zest and juice of one Meyer Lemon
Two cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil

Method for pesto: Put all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Taste to adjust seasoning. Use as a dip for fresh veggies and it is great for pasta, too.
Shelling the Beans: I always “hire” kid labor to shell the beans. The girls love to help me cook, and this is the perfect fun, easy task for them (plus, it saves me from having to do it). Shelling favas is a two-step process. First, you take the beans out of their pod, and then peel the outer layer of “skin” from the beans themselves. It won’t kill you to leave the outer skin layer on, but the texture is much better without it.

Make the pasta dish:

In salted boiling water, boil the orecchiette until done. Using a hand-held strainer, remove the pasta and set aside in a large bowl. In the same water you used to cook the pasta, cook your shelled and peeled favas for 1 minute. They will turn bright green and still have great crunch. After the favas cook, strain them, and place them in the same bowl as the pasta.
In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts until you can smell their flavor. They should smell nutty, but not burned.
In the same large bowl, add the toasted pine nuts, pesto, peppermint, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes to the cooked pasta and favas. Toss together and garnish with a sprig of peppermint and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This dish can be served warm or refrigerated and served cold.