Pasta with broad beans, a typical recipe of Calabrian culinary tradition, of humble origins is today a rich and much appreciated dish. A true delicacy to prepare as it was made in the past, with genuine home products: broad beans from the garden, wild fennel (or dill), and guanciale — the cured cheek of the pig seasoned with salt and pepper. To tell the truth, I prefer it with slab pancetta, the pork belly cured with salt and pepper. The curing of both guanciale and slab pancetta coincides with broad bean harvest time, and so our dear grandmothers, with very little, could combine these simple ingredients to make a dish full of flavor — a taste you cannot understand until you try it. I had not eaten pasta and broad beans for years; it has been a wonderful rediscovery. I remember that when I was little my grandmother always made it, so I asked my mother for the recipe to recreate it exactly as she prepared it, replacing the guanciale with slab pancetta. I was so delighted by how good it was that these days, during broad bean season, I decided to make large portions without changing anything: plenty of onion and wild fennel, which gives this fabulous Calabrian dish its unique taste, pasta with broad beans. Make it — Calabrian pasta with broad beans is really excellent, and if you want it lighter you can make it without guanciale or pancetta; it is still delicious. Keep in mind that broad beans are low in calories, so a bit of pancetta is fine.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients for Calabrian pasta with broad beans
- 5 oz Ditaloni Rigati (or broken bucatini)
- 7 oz Shelled broad beans (about 28 oz (1.8 lb) to shell)
- 1 Tropea red onion
- to taste Pancetta (slab) (or guanciale)
- to taste Wild fennel
- to taste Olive oil
- to taste Salt
Tools to prepare pasta with broad beans
- Pot
- Frying pan
- 1 Kitchen spatula
Preparation of pasta and broad beans with guanciale and wild fennel
Start by putting the water on for the pasta. You can use either short pasta or long pasta broken into small pieces. Bring the pasta water to a boil while you prepare the broad beans.
Shell the broad beans; you need about 700–800 g to shell to obtain roughly 200 g of shelled beans ready to cook. If the beans are too large and a bit tough, remove the outer skin that covers them; for tender ones this is not necessary.
In a pan, add some olive oil and brown the pancetta or guanciale cut into small cubes. I prefer the flavor of slab pancetta, but the original recipe uses guanciale. Brown briefly, then add the coarsely chopped onion and the broad beans. Also add the wild fennel, finely chopped and washed, a little salt, and a glass of water, then cook until done. Use only the central, more tender and aromatic leaves of the wild fennel, which are sweeter. Wild fennel grows freely in the countryside and is very common in Calabrian fields in spring, coinciding with broad bean harvest, so it is tender and sweet then. If you can’t find it, substitute the inner leaves of a fennel bulb (there’s usually some attached in the center), or use a piece of fennel or fennel seeds.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta once the water boils. Add salt and cook it al dente, as it will be tossed in the pan with the broad beans for one minute.
Broad beans cook quickly, about 10 minutes, then they are ready — taste for seasoning and turn off the heat if done. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta in the pan with the broad beans, let it flavor for a minute, and add some of the reserved pasta water if needed. Serve hot as soon as it’s ready, though it’s also delicious cold, so it can be made in advance and served chilled.
Also try broad beans with onions Calabrian-style, or broad beans with pancetta and onions, broad beans with guanciale, or the quick savory pie with ricotta and broad beans.
