Pasta with fava beans and pancetta (fave in porchetta). Recipe from Le Marche.
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
833 kcal
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Italian
Pasta with fava beans and pancetta (fave in porchetta). Recipe from Le Marche.
Description
Pasta with fava beans and pancetta highlights fresh fava beans simmered alongside garlic and diced pancetta in olive oil and white wine, enhanced with wild fennel or dill for aromatic depth. The beans cook gently in this mixture until soft but intact, creating a sauce that clings to the grooves of fusilli bucati pasta. The addition of salt, pepper, and pecorino cheese finishes the dish with balanced seasoning and a hint of sharpness.
The resulting texture combines the tender beans and crispy pancetta with the firm pasta, providing a contrast that enriches the eating experience. Cooking the beans directly in the sauce prevents overhydration and concentrates flavor, while reserving pasta water helps adjust the sauce's consistency.
This dish works well as a satisfying main course, celebrating spring’s fresh fava beans. Ingredients can be adapted seasonally, including using dried or frozen beans when fresh are not available, and pasta shapes can be substituted according to preference.
Using fresh fava beans is ideal but not mandatory; canned or rehydrated dried beans provide alternatives while maintaining the dish’s character. Short hollow fusilli or long tagliatelle are suitable pasta options to capture the sauce and ingredients effectively.
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta (14oz) I used fusilli bucati corti (short hollow fusilli)
- 2 kgs fava beans 4lbs, fresh, in pods
- 2 garlic or fresh garlic peeled and chopped, cloves
- 200 g pancetta (7oz) or guanciale cut into cubes
- ½ glass white wine
- 1 bunch fennel or 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, wild, or dill
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g pecorino cheese (1oz) grated
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Shell the fava beans, peel and chop the garlic and cut the pancetta into small cubes. If using, chop the wild fennel or dill.
Make the sauce
- Cook the chopped garlic with olive oil in a non-stick pan or skillet. Add the pancetta and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the white wine. When the alcohol has evaporated, and you no longer smell the wine, add the wild fennel, dill or seeds and the shelled beans.
- Let everything cook for a few minutes on a low heat, then if necessary add water (3 or 4 tablespoons). The beans are best cooked in the sauce, so, you don’t want to overdo it with water and boil them. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook over a low heat, with the pan covered for about 30 minutes.
Cook the pasta
- In the meantime, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet, save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
Finish and serve
- Add some of the saved pasta cooking water to the beans and then put the cooked pasta into the pan with the Pecorino. Mix everything together well and serve with more grated Pecorino as required.
Notes
- Fresh fava beans are preferred for best texture and flavor, but canned, frozen, or rehydrated dried beans can be substituted when fresh are unavailable.
- Various pasta shapes such as tagliatelle, tagliolini, or fusilli bucati can be used according to your preference.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper based on taste and saltiness of pancetta.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 833 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 833kcal | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 111g | 37% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 41mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 460mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 1401mg | 30% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 19g | 38% |
| Vitamin A | 3500IU | 70% |
| Vitamin C | 62mg | 69% |
| Calcium | 293mg | 29% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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