Pasta with Guanciale and Peas Recipe
Whenever I am in Italy or Upstate I am always cooking for everyone and anyone who is at my house or might be stopping by. When I’m Upstate and I ask everyone what they want for lunch, the request is usually whatever I have been making in Italy! This pasta is an Upstate favorite that I make often in Tuscany. This time around, I had some leftover fava beans which I added to the pasta. While they are a completely optional ingredient in this dish, they're delicious if you can find them and don't mind the extra prep! If you buy the whole pod fresh at the store, you have to shell the beans, cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes and then peel off the outer layer of the bean. They take a little extra effort but they're always worth it in my opinion!
Recipe featured on Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons EVOO, divided
- ½ pound guanciale or bacon, diced
- 1 pound of shelled fresh large peas
- Salt and pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
- ½ cup crème fraiche or heavy cream
- ¼ cup tarragon leaves, plus extra to garnish
- Small handful of mint leaves, optional
- About 2 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 lb fava beans, optional
- 1 ½ pound egg pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine pasta
- 4 cups baby gem or other fresh baby greens
- 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced on bias, to garnish
Directions
Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta.
Heat 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in guanciale or bacon and cook until crisp and fat has rendered out. Remove guanciale from the pan and reserve for later.
Add peas to the pan with the leftover rendered guanciale fat, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and let cook for 1 minute more. Remove half the peas with a slotted spoon and reserve for later. Transfer the other half of the peas to a high powered blender or food processor with crème fraiche, tarragon and mint, if using. Blend or process until smooth, adding stock as needed to help with blending.
Saute fava beans for a few minutes over medium heat in a medium saute pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to warm through.
Cook pasta in salted water, 1 minute less than package directions. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Return drained pasta back to the pot that it was cooked in.
Add the pea puree, whole peas, fresh baby greens, reserved cooking water, half of the fava beans and cheese to the pasta. Toss together and serve in shallow bowls with guanciale, scallions, tarragon and extra fava beans, if using, on top.
