Favas and Fusilli

The Washington Post, June 29, 2009

• • Course: Side Dish

Summary:

Fava beans are ready to pick in home gardens and just coming into the markets. Pick pods that are plump; the interior beans’ shape should bulge in the pod. Favas take time to prepare: Grab a glass of something (perhaps Chianti), sit on the deck and decompress. The beans first must be removed from their cozy, down-insulated pods. Then the shelled beans must be dropped into boiling water, cooked for 2 minutes and then dunked into an ice-cold water bath. Finally, the bitter outer skin must be removed, revealing a glistening, scrumptious, shamrock-green nugget. That nugget is the endosperm, the material that would have nourished the embryo as it grew and formed a new plant.

Favas (Vicia faba) are the true beans of the Old World. Though the American colonists brought these traditional beans along with them, New World string beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) usurped them in popularity. String beans tolerated the East Coast's heat far better than their cool-temperature-loving cousins, the favas.

Lima beans, another New World bean, are very similar in texture and flavor to favas. They can be substituted in recipes calling for favas. But nothing can replace the favas' nutty flavor and tender texture. They are well worth the extra effort.

6 servings

Ingredients:

• • About 3 pounds fava beans in their pods (1/2 peck)
• • 2 tablespoons olive oil
• • 1 small Vidalia onion, cut into small dice (1 cup)
• • 1 large clove garlic, minced
• • 4 ounces chopped cooked pork, such as leftover pork tenderloin (may use a single boneless center-cut pork chop)
• • 3 to 5 basil leaves, rolled and cut into thin strips (chiffonade; 1 tablespoon)
• • 8 ounces fusilli pasta, cooked and drained, with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water reserved
• • 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
• • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Follow the procedure outlined above for the favas: Peel them out of their pods, blanch in boiling water, shock in an ice bath and then pop them out of their bitter seed coats. This amount of favas will give you 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the fava “nuggets.”

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion begins to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the favas and stir to combine; cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped pork; mix well, then add the basil and stir to incorporate.

Add the reserved pasta cooking water, using it and a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the drained pasta, cheese and pepper to taste; toss to combine.

Divide among individual plates; serve immediately.

Recipe Source:

From Cynthia A. Brown, assistant director at Green Springs Farm in Alexandria.

405 calories, 11g fat, 4g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 194mg sodium, 53g carbohydrates, 13g dietary fiber, 5g sugar, 24g protein.