Maccheroni al Pettine, Fava, Pancetta & Cherry Tomatoes
Maccheroni al Pettine, Fava, Pancetta & Cherry Tomatoes
While it’s not Spring just yet (but it will be this weekend!), I’m mentally craving for a change in the air and in circumstances since we are STILL in a lockdown of varying degrees in Italy. This lockdown story is a year and counting at this point….craving the days when we will be free again
I live vicariously through Instagram, as well as cooking up the new seasonal ingredients popping up. The next few weeks will be dedicated to SPRING and you may see some repeat cameos of starring veggies. This week is all about the fava. In Tuscany, fava is called baccelli in local dialect. They pop up in March, and you can eat them raw out of the pod or cook them, although not for very long. They’re great to make a hummus-like dip, in pasta recipes or in salads paired with pecorino.
If you cannot find fresh fava, you can certainly use dried (which requires soaking overnight and boiling to soften) or canned (yes they have canned fava if you look near the Italian or Latin products).
This is a very fast pasta recipe I made with fresh, hand-rolled maccheroni al pettine which resembles rigatoni in shape. I’d recommend a short tubular dried pasta shape if you want a more accessible option. It combines fava, cherry tomatoes, onion, pancetta, and mountains of aged pecorino. You cannot go wrong (but don’t overboil that pasta!)
Maccheroni al Pettine, Fava, Cherry Tomatoes, Pancetta & Pecorino
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup (100 gms) Fresh Fava (already shucked from the pods, about 20 pods)
2 cups (250 gms) Cherry Tomatoes
½ a blond onion
2 TB (25 gms) pancetta, diced
½ a cup (50 gms) grated pecorino
EVOO as needed
Salt to taste
2 portions of Maccheroni al Pettine, or your favorite short tubular dried pasta
Method:
Remove the fava from the pods, and remove the outer exterior skin. See IG Reel below:
Fava Pods
Place a pot of water to boil that is big enough to blanch the fava and cook the pasta. While the water comes to a boil prep the remaining ingredients.
Thinly slice the onions and set them to the side. In a skillet, add a touch of EVOO and add the diced pancetta in a cold pan to help render the fat. Start out on medium flame, and as they start to get cooking stir every few minutes for even cooking. When the pancetta are almost crispy we will add the onions to cook in the fat. If your pancetta has rendered an excessive amount of fat, feel free to remove some. In my case, it was a minimal amount, and it was just enough. Lower the flame, add the onions to the pan with the pancetta, and sauté until soft which will take a few minutes.
Sauteed Onions & Pancetta
Quartered Tomatoes
Quickly wash and cut the cherry tomatoes while the onions cook. If they are large they can be quartered, if they are on the smaller side in half is perfect. Once the onions are soft, add the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 min until they soften slightly but are still intact.
By the time you add the tomatoes to the pan, the water should be boiling, you should add salt to taste. Add the fava to the water and cook for exactly 3 minutes. They will cook long enough to slightly soften them, not overcook them and preserve their pretty green color.
Fava, Onions and Pancetta
Remove them from the water and add the fava to the pan with the tomatoes, pancetta, and onion. Stir well to combine and adjust the taste with salt. Shut the heat off and boil the pasta according to package instructions. When the pasta is cooked, drain reserving the cooking water, and add to the pan with the veggies. Stir to combine and add the pasta cooking water as needed to marry the sauce to the pasta. Add a third of the grated cheese and stir so it melts into the sauce, again adding a splash of the cooking water as needed. Plate the pasta and divide the grated cheese among the plates and enjoy!
