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A bowl of capellini with fava beans, peas and pecorino
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Peppered Capellini with Fava Beans, Peas and Pecorino

Seasonal veggies are highlighted in this elegant and delicious recipe. Best enjoyed with a salad, crusty bread and people you love.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Fava Beans, Pasta and Fava Beans
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 593kcal
Author Traci York

Ingredients

  • 2/3 C English Peas frozen
  • 1 1/2 lb Fava Bean Pods about 3/4 C peeled favas
  • 1/2 lb Capellini
  • 1 Tbs Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbs Butter unsalted, divided
  • 3/4 Tbs Black Pepper coarsely ground
  • 1 1/2 tsp Garlic minced
  • 1/3 C Pecorino shredded, plus a bit extra for serving
  • 1/2 C Parmesan grated
  • 1 C Pasta Water reserved
  • 1 Lemon zested
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 4-5 Leaves Parsley chopped for garnish
  • Fresh Ground Pepper for serving

Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan, fill about 1/3 full with water. Put on stove to boil. Have ready a large bowl and mesh strainer.
  • Shuck all the fava beans out of the pods and place the beans in a bowl. Set aside. Measure out your peas. Set aside. Make an ice bath in the large bowl. Be sure the mesh strainer can fit in the large bowl and the ice water flows into the strainer.
  • Place the peas in the boiling water. Blanch for 30 seconds. Remove with a hand held strainer and place in the mesh strainer that is in the water bath. Let set for 1 minute, then remove the peas from the bath, using the strainer and place into a bowl. Set aside. Do the same thing with the fava beans, but let the fava beans blanch for 3 minutues (use the same water you blanched the peas in). Remove the favas with a hand held strainer and place in the mesh strainer that is in the water bath. Let set for 1 minute, then remove the favas from the bath using the strainer and place into a bowl. Set aside. Once cooled, peel the seed coat away from the fava beans. Discard the peels.
  • In a medium sauce pan, fill water 2/3 full. Bring to a boil. Cook the capellini for about 4 minutes, or until al dente'. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta, drizzle 1 Tbs of olive oil on pasta to keep it from sticking.
  • Meanwhile, melt 1Tbs butter in a large saute' pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the pepper and garlic. Saute' for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1/4 C of the reserved pasta water. It will fizzle and bubble here so be careful. Stir to combine the pasta water, butter, pepper and garlic. Add the remaining 1 Tbs of butter and incorporate. Add the pasta, stir to coat with the sauce. Add both cheeses and stir until melted. Season with salt and add the lemon zest. Toss again. Add the peas and peeled fava beans, tossing and turning the ingredients gently to evenly distribute. Add another 1/4 cup to 3/4 C of the pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Toss well.
  • Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley, pecorino and fresh ground pepper.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The New York Times.

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 604IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 4mg