10 ounces dry egg tagliolini or fettuccine, or fresh pasta from scratch
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shelled and peeled fava beans or peas
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
For the pesto:
1/2 cup lightly-packed basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan, to serve
Bring a large pot of well-salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, or according to the package instructions or fresh pasta recipe.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. In a blender, combine the basil, almonds, 2 garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Puree until the mixture comes together. Add more olive oil if needed for consistency.
In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pasta, sauté the minced garlic in the 1 tablespoon olive oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fava beans and cook them briefly to coat in oil. Remove from the heat and add the pesto, stirring to combine.
When the pasta has cooked to al dente, scoop out and reserve 1/3 cup pasta water, then drain. Transfer the pasta to the saucepan and add the reserved pasta water. Set the pan back over high heat, and quickly stir until the sauce is partly absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the ricotta. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
- If you buy fresh fava beans in the pod, you will need about 4 pounds to yield 1 cup shelled and peeled beans. Follow these instructions for peeling. If you can't find fresh fava beans, look for frozen (but note these are already shelled and peeled), or use shelled peas instead.