Pasta with fava beans and pancetta is based on a traditional spring recipe from Le Marche in Central Italy. Known as ‘fave in porchetta’, fava or broad beans are traditionally cooked with pancetta or guanciale, garlic and wild fennel. They are delicious eaten as a side dish or with pasta.
Spring veggies are the best!
There are many reasons to like the spring; flowers, trees in blossom, warmer weather and more sunshine to name the most obvious. But, as a foodie, one thing that gets me excited is the appearance of fresh spring veggies.
Nowadays we can buy a lot of fruit and veg throughout the year because produce is either cultivated in greenhouses or imported. However, there are some vegetables we particularly associate with the spring because that’s still the only time you can find them. Or, it’s when the season starts but they aren’t available year round. I’m talking about veggies such as fresh peas, asparagus, new potatoes, artichokes, zucchini flowers and fava beans, the star of this recipe!
What are fava beans?
Also known as broad beans, fava beans are a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family, Fabaceae. Like other types of beans, these are seeds found inside of pods. The pods are green when quite young. In fact, they look a bit similar to pea pods. However, they become blackish-brown as they mature.
Fava beans are usually eaten when still young, so when the pod is still green. Very young fava can be eaten whole, pod and all. And, even small beans can be eaten raw without having to remove the outer skin. The latter becomes tougher as the beans mature.
Italian recipes for fava beans.
This recipe for pasta with fava beans and pancetta.
Known as ‘fave in porchetta’ in Le Marche, fava beans and pancetta is traditionally a side dish made with mature broad beans. It was originally a way to use up beans that were no longer suitable to eat raw. Nowadays, you can also find recipes like this one which combine the fave in porchetta with pasta to make it a one plate meal or first course (Italians say primo piatto).
What does ‘in porchetta’ mean?
Porchetta is an Italian whole rolled boneless pork that has been filled with liver, different herbs, garlic and wild fennel and spit roasted over wood for about 8 hours! It’s typically made in Central Italy but, is popular throughout the country as a street food. It’s the Italian version of pulled pork or roast pork sandwiches. In fact, porchetta is usually sold from food trucks and eaten in panini!
There are a number of traditional dishes called ‘in porchetta’ in Central Italy. You can find rabbit in porchetta, chicken in porchetta, duck in porchetta and even carp in porchetta. Plus, of course, fave in porchetta.
What all these dishes have in common is they are flavoured with the same ingredients as porchetta, particularly wild fennel and garlic. Some, like the rabbit are also deboned. They normally include a kind of fatty pork such as lardo, guanciale or pancetta, even the carp! And they are usually roasted, although not the fava beans of course.
Other ingredients in this pasta with fava beans.
As I mentioned above, this fava beans recipe includes ingredients similar to those used in Italian porchetta. The beans are cooked with guanciale or pancetta, garlic, wine and wild fennel. Of course, the latter isn’t easy to find. But, you can substitute it with dill or fennel seeds. I used wild fennel seeds that I bought in Calabria.
Wild fennel grows all over Central and Southern Italy. You can find it in the countryside, in ditches, along roadsides and even abandoned gardens! The peak season is during March. But, it’s possible to plant a bit in a pot and as long as you give it a little water you will be able to have wild fennel for months. Unfortunately, it isn’t available here in the North. That’s why I used wild fennel seeds. But I’m planning to plant some of those seeds and hopefully grow my own.
Cooking the fava beans.
I made this recipe with very fresh young fava beans. So, all I had to do was shell them and add them to the sauce. Most Italian versions of this recipe don’t include blanching and peeling the beans before cooking them. However, a few do. In my opinion, fava beans don’t need to be peeled unless they are really big. And, in that case, they’re better dried! By removing the skin of each bean, you also unquestionably remove much of that very earthy flavour that makes these beans so tasty. Plus, you give yourself so much more work!
Although this recipe is best with fresh fava beans, those aren’t available all through the year. So, you can also use rehydrated dried beans or canned or frozen fava beans.
The pasta.
The recipes I have found for pasta with fava beans and pancetta used tagliatelle or tagliolini. Personally, I think this dish is better with short pasta. So, I used short fusilli bucati. That’s short fusilli with a hole! It turned out so well. Such a great pasta for all kinds of veggie or meat pasta recipes. Of course you can use your favourite pasta, long or short.
Let me know what you think.
Whichever type of pasta you use, I’m sure you’ll love this traditional way of cooking fava beans. You can also make extra beans to serve as a side dish.
If you do try this pasta with fava beans and pancetta, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
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Other spring pasta recipes to check out!
- Pasta with asparagus
- Poached salmon and asparagus lasagna
- Tagliatelle with peas
- Sicilian pasta with sardines and wild fennel
- Gargati with spring ragu
Pasta with fava beans and pancetta (fave in porchetta). Recipe from Le Marche.
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta (14oz) I used fusilli bucati corti (short hollow fusilli)
- 2 kgs fresh fava beans in pods (4lbs)
- 2 garlic cloves or fresh garlic peeled and chopped
- 200 g pancetta (7oz) or guanciale cut into cubes
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 1 bunch wild fennel or dill or 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
- 30 g Pecorino cheese (1oz) grated
- salt for pasta and to taste
- freshly ground black pepper. to taste
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Shell the fava beans, peel and chop the garlic and cut the pancetta into small cubes. If using, chop the wild fennel or dill.
Make the sauce
- Cook the chopped garlic with olive oil in a non-stick pan or skillet. Add the pancetta and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the white wine. When the alcohol has evaporated, and you no longer smell the wine, add the wild fennel, dill or seeds and the shelled beans.
- Let everything cook for a few minutes on a low heat, then if necessary add water (3 or 4 tablespoons). The beans are best cooked in the sauce, so, you don’t want to overdo it with water and boil them. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook over a low heat, with the pan covered for about 30 minutes.
Cook the pasta
- In the meantime, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet, save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
Finish and serve
- Add some of the saved pasta cooking water to the beans and then put the cooked pasta into the pan with the Pecorino. Mix everything together well and serve with more grated Pecorino as required.
Notes
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Linda R. says
My Sicilian hubby loved your favs recipe. We are so lucky to get fresh ones here in Toronto.
Mary Baroni says
I have a friend who plants fava beans as ground cover but doesn’t like them! She is bringing over 10 lbs of fava beans and I plan on using some of them tonight with this dish. BTW, my grandparents are from Le Marche and we eat lots of fava beans and pancetta and also with pasta. Your recipe has a few extras that I don’t usually use to am excited to try it tonight.
Chef Dennis says
A glass of chianti and your pasta dish and I’d be in heaven! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe
Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious says
This pasta recipe looks so rich and delicious!
Kushigalu says
Wow. Never tried using fava beans with pasta. Sounds amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Alexis says
This is a delicious dish! You don’t often see pasta dishes with fava beans, this one is amazing.
Julie says
What a great combination of flavors that makes such a filling pasta dish. THis is so tasty and good. Will totally make it again.
Robin says
Fusilli Bucati is now my new favorite pasta – something about the bite makes me swoon.
Amy Liu Dong says
I have never tried this, but this one looks really good and tasty. I will definitely make this for everyone.
Jen Sim says
Thanks for sharing the history behind this dish. It was so interesting. I am even more excited to try this dish now!
Wanda says
Our local Italian Store has fava beans and I’m always on the hunt for new pasta recipes. Can’t wait to try ti!
Jacqui says
I’m sure you’ll love this dish Wanda!
Leslie says
Loving this beautiful pasta recipe! I especially love being introduced to new veggies like fava beans!
Jacqui says
Grazie Leslie! Fava beans are delicious cooked or raw! I hope you’ll get to try them!
Lesli Schwartz says
Your pasta recipes are just so special! I look forward to making this fava beans recipe and especially love the addition of the pancetta!
Jacqui says
So sweet, thank you Lesli! Pancetta is popular in spring veggie pasta dishes. I also have a recipe for pasta with pancetta and fresh peas! Seriously good!
Stine Mari says
This is such a lovely spring dish. I love fava beans but don’t use it enough, so this was just a perfect recipe for me. So delicious!
Jacqui says
Happy you liked this recipe Stine Mari! Yes, perfect for spring and fava beans are so good!
Linda says
I love cooking with fresh ingredients and this is a great way to enjoy fava beans more often!
Jacqui says
Fava beans are great with pasta Linda. But if you make extra beans you can also use them twice, once with pasta and once as a side dish!
Jill says
I always enjoy reading the history behind your pasta recipes. This one has me longing for Spring even more. Excited to try fava beans for the first time in this pasta dish!
Jacqui says
I love the history too Jill. It’s so interesting researching the recipes, pasta types and ingredients! Fava beans are delicious and healthy. They go really well with pasta. I’m sure you’ll love this dish!
Helen says
I love broad beans but never serve them with pasta – this looks great.
Jacqui says
Thank you Helen! Fava beans go really well with pasta. You can also cook extra beans and have them as a side dish too! A 2 in 1 recipe!
Anjali says
I love fava beans but I never thought to add them to pasta before! This recipe was hearty and comforting – the perfect weeknight dinner!
Jacqui says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Anjali! I agree it’s hearty and comforting!
Michelle says
This looks so comforting and is the perfect Spring dish. I’m so glad to find a recipe using fava beans, they are a very underrated bean.
Jacqui says
Thank you Michelle. Yes, this is a perfect spring dish! Fava beans are pretty popular here in Italy. Sadly they aren’t in season for very long!
Jeannette says
How comforting and homey! Love the fava beans and pancetta for this pasta recipe because they sure do work well together. Yum!
Jacqui says
Yes, very comforting and homey Jeannette! Pancetta is great with fava beans and other spring veggies. In fact, there are quite a few similar pasta dishes, like pasta with fresh peas and pancetta!