THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021
www.italoamericano.org
30
L'Italo-Americano
beans)
1 garlic clove, very finely
minced
2 - 3 t a b l e s p o o n g r a t e d
P a r m e s a n o r P e c o r i n o
cheese
2-3 tablespoons ricotta
(optional)
For the almond and basil
pesto:
1 b u n c h o f f r e s h b a s i l
leaves, about 4 tablespoon
2 tablespoon almonds
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon extra-virgin
oil
If the fave are longer than
1 c m ( 0 . 5 i n c h ) y o u m u s t
blanch them in boiling hot
water for 5 minutes or until
some of the skins start to
split. One cup of broad beans
y i e l d s 6 t a b l e s p o o n s o f
s h e l l e d b e a n s . D r a i n a n d
refresh under cold water.
Remove the shells. This will
take some time but you can
omit this step if you have
small, thin- skinned beans.
To make the pesto, purée
all the ingredients in a bowl
u s i n g a n i m m e r s i o n
blender. Make sure to make
the pesto at the last possible
moment before using it on
t h e p a s t a . T h i s w a y t h e
pesto does not oxidize and
keeps its lovely flavor and
color.
While making the pesto,
cook the pasta in plenty of
salted boiling water for 1
minute or according to the
package instructions.
In a pan large enough to
hold all the pasta, sauté the
minced garlic in olive oil
until fragrant, this will take
about 30 seconds. Add the
b r o a d b e a n s a n d c o o k
briefly to infuse them in the
garlic oil. Take off the heat
and add the pesto. At this
point you might add a cou-
ple of tablespoons of ricotta
if you would like to.
Drain the pasta, reserving
a 1/3 of a cup of the pasta
water. Transfer the pasta to
the pan that holds the sauce
a n d i n c r e a s e t h e h e a t t o
high. Add the reserved pasta
water and quickly stir so that
the sauce combines with the
pasta and looks creamy and
shiny. Serve immediately
w i t h g r a t e d P a r m e s a n o r
pecorino cheese.
L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a
cookbook author and owner
of Alla Madonna del Piatto
C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d
A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i ,
U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m -
pagna.com. This recipe has
been previously published in
M r s . M a t t i a c c i c o o k b o o k
entitled A Kitchen with a
View.
"Broad beans (fava) have been a staple of European cuisine for thousands of years and they
were considered sacred in ancient Greece and Rome"
Continued from page 28
Fresh fava beans (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci)
LA BUONA TAVOLA
RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES
This recipe is perfect with both long and short pasta shapes (Photo: Al1962/Dreamstime)
