Ornella's Pasta with Fresh Tender Broad Beans, Garden Peas and Pecorino

Fresh Broad Beans from the garden.

The First Fruits of Spring

Last week I went to my garden and gathered some fresh young broad beans, a bit of tender peas, a few fresh spring onions and a handful of parsley. I then happily trotted home (I was trotting then, I’ve since sprained my hamstring and have been confined to my bed) with the first of springs offerings shouting, “ ola dikiamas “ or “all our own”. This is a phrase that people in Greece often use as an exclamation of pride in growing their own veggies.

Broad Bean Plant

Back at home with everything assembled in my kitchen, I concocted this nice, tasty, spring dish. I think this recipe actually might be close to a little known, traditional Tuscan dish,  but this one is my own creation. Maybe it came from some deep well of ancestral inner knowledge..Who knows .................

Ornella's Pasta with Fresh Tender Broad Beans, Garden Peas and Pecorino

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Dietary Information: | Vegetarian | Low- Fat|Cholesterol | Nutritional |

Ingredients List
300 gr or 10.5 oz. Fresh Spring Broad Beans shelled and outer skins removed
200 gr or 7 oz.  Fresh Garden Peas shelled
4 tbs  Olive Oil
2 Fresh Spring Onions or 1 Medium Dry Onion chopped
1 Clove of Garlic (optional )
 ½ of a Dried Chili Pepper  or a whole one if you prefer (optional )
A Bit Of White Wine

A Small Bunch of Fresh Parsley and/or Fresh Mint finely chopped
A Saucepan of Hot Water
400 gr or 14 oz. of Pasta  Mezze Penne Rigate or similar
Salt And Pepper  to taste
4 tbs (or more) of Grated Pecorino Cheese

Step 1 Add oil and onions to large fry pan and sauté gently until clear, add the optional chilly and garlic if you like and finish it off with a bit of the chopped parsley.

Step 2 Add the broad beans and the peas let them cook for a few minutes stirring.

Step 3 Add a glug or 2 of white wine and let it reduce and add salt and pepper to taste. Add a bit of hot water and let it cook for 20 minutes or so until done. Make sure your liquid doesn’t boil away and dry out; keep adding hot water as needed. It should look creamy but not watery!

Step 4 Remove 2/3 of the beans and peas and place them in your blender taking care not to get the chili pepper in there with the mix. Blend until creamy smooth. When finished, mix all the beans and peas together so that some are mashed and some are whole. In the meantime cook the pasta “al dente” in boiling, salted water according to directions on the package. When you drain the pasta, keep a bit of pasta water aside.

Step 5 Mix the pasta with your pea and bean mixture. Stir it around well, add some of the water from the pasta if needed to make it nice and creamy. Add some freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and/or mint, add the grated pecorino, stir and serve.

Two Peas Kitchen Pecorino Rosso Volterrano

Try This
Suggestion for a more delicate taste:

1.You can put a few tablespoons of cream, half and half or cream cheese in the beans before blending.
2.Use butter instead of olive oil
3. Use parmesan instead of pecorino.
4.Or try all of these suggestions together(however, it won’t remain a low- fat|cholesterol dish if you do).

Also
You can also add some chopped Italian pancetta, guanciale or speck (or bacon if you can't find anything else)for a meataterian version of this dish. Sauté with the onion (Step 1) and add the wine then.
 When the dish is ready you can garnish it with crispy pancetta guanciale, speck or bacon that you’ve cooked separately. Enjoy!