One of the best things about spring cooking is combining the warm comforting foods suitable to winter with the crisp and cooling vegetables of summer – it’s seasonal fusion cuisine! This pasta dish with asparagus and fava beans is a perfect spring meal when you are looking for something to warm up cooler nights but still crave the fresh vegetables emerging from the garden.

Fava beans are a wonderful spring treat, with a sweet flavor and an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture. They take a bit of work to prepare since they must first be shelled from the the pod, and then blanched in order to remove their thick skins. I like to shell and blanch a whole bunch of fava beans at once and then store them in the refrigerator to be used within 1-3 days. Because they do take a bit of work to prepare, I tend to favor recipes that incorporate fava beans into the dish rather than make them the star (if fava beans are the star, just be prepared to shell a lot of them or have a few friends over for a shelling party).

Spring Pasta with Asparagus and Fava Beans
(serves 4-6)

2 cups shelled fava beans (from about 2 ½ - 3 pounds in pods)
1 pound linguine
1 cup pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (divided)

Remove fava beans from their pods. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fava beans and cook for 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a spider, transfer the fava beans to a colander and rinse with cool water. When they are cool enough to handle, gently squeeze each fava so they pop out of their thick skins. Place shelled fava beans in a bowl and discard the skins.
Return the pot of water to a boil, adding another pinch of salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, add the chopped pancetta and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the fava beans and ½ cup of the grated parmigiano-reggiano and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta, a pinch of sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a splash of the reserved pasta liquid. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Plate the pasta and garnish with remaining parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.