Creamy Pappardelle with Fava Beans, Chicory, and Ricotta
A light, spring main course, really easy to prepare and delicious, raw chicory pairs perfectly with fresh shelled fava beans.
Ideal to prepare even during the Easter period.
If you want, you can also use salted ricotta; in this case, make it creamy by mixing it with a hot spoon of pasta cooking water.
Dry pappardelle can be replaced with tagliatelle or even short pasta, like paccheri.
If you’re looking for more easy recipes (sweet or savory), click on my Special: “Easy and Quick Recipes“.
If you’re looking for light recipes, click on my Special: “Light Recipes… but Tasty“.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Easter
Ingredients for Creamy Pappardelle with Fava Beans, Chicory, and Ricotta
- 10.6 oz pappardelle (dry, I use Garofalo)
- 6 oz fava beans (weight refers to fresh shelled fava beans)
- 1 oz guanciale (or prosciutto or pancetta)
- 1 white onion
- 1.4 oz chicory, wild, raw
- 0.7 oz lamb's lettuce (valerianella) (raw, optional)
- 3.4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.25 cup dry white wine
- Half bouillon cube (vegetable)
- 0.42 cup water (boiling)
- to taste fine salt (a little)
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- 3.5 oz goat ricotta (locally called 'ricotta di fuscella')
- 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (or pecorino, optional)
Tools
- Bowls
- Mezzaluna
- Cutting Board
- Pot
- Pan
- Immersion Blender Braun, 1000W power + accessories
- Bowl
Steps for Creamy Pappardelle with Fava Beans, Chicory, and Ricotta
First, wash and shell the fresh fava beans. Also, wash and clean the chicory (cut it into small pieces including stems and leaves) and wash the lamb’s lettuce (optional). Finally, wash and chop the white onion and dice the guanciale (or pancetta or prosciutto).
Take a pan, pour in the extra olive oil, the broken chili pepper (optional), and the guanciale, and let everything season gently for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped onion and half the bouillon cube and let it wilt for about 10 minutes, deglazing with 30 ml of dry white wine.
Add the shelled fresh fava beans to the cooked onion and let them season in the sauce, then add the other 30 ml of white wine, 100 ml of boiling water, and cook for another 30-40 minutes.
These are the cooked fava beans; the liquid should be fully absorbed.
Take half of the fava bean, onion, and guanciale mixture and blend it with an immersion blender (or a mini blender).
Take a pot, pour in the water, add a little salt (as the fava beans already contain the bouillon cube), bring to a boil, and add the pappardelle (or chosen pasta) and cook until al dente (drain them one minute before the time indicated on the package), reserving a ladle of cooking water.
Pour the cooked pasta into the pan with the whole fava beans, the fava bean puree, the cooking water, the Parmesan (optional), season well, and finally add the ricotta, stirring over high heat for a minute.
Pour the dressed pasta into a bowl where you have placed the raw chicory and lamb’s lettuce, mix everything well, and serve.
Shopping Tips!!!
– To weigh the ingredients of my preparations, I use this practical digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer; you can find it on Amazon at a great price.
– To chop the onion, I used this sharp mandoline, which you can find on Amazon at a great price.
– To blend the fava beans, I recommend either the immersion blender or the handy mini chopper attachment, both included with the Braun MultiQuick 7 Minipimer, which you can purchase at a special price by clicking HERE
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What benefits do fresh fava beans provide?
Fava beans help promote good intestinal function by providing a good amount of fiber, which can also help combat cardiovascular diseases and diabetes by controlling intestinal absorption of cholesterol and sugars, thus helping to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They greatly assist the liver in its detoxifying action.
The potassium content in fava beans helps to counteract water retention, promoting diuresis. This has a positive effect also for those suffering from high blood pressure.What are pappardelle, and how do they differ from tagliatelle?
“Pappardelle” are a type of egg pasta quite similar to tagliatelle but significantly wider: the width of pappardelle can range from 2 cm to 4 cm, depending on the region. The thickness is around 0.8 mm, and the length is at least 20 cm.
