Pasta con Fave (Pasta with fresh fava beans)

I enjoyed this dish at the restaurant La Rondinella in Scalea, Calabria. This is the seaside town where we used to spend our summer days at the beach. I enjoyed this dish so much that I asked the owner for the recipe. She gave me all the ingredients needed and I recreated the recipe. The sauce consists of fava beans, anchovies, and pecorino cheese. What surprised me was the addition of the boiled potato but she insisted that it is needed to give more body to the sauce.

3 pounds fresh fava beans, cleaned and cooked to yield about 2 cups

8 to 10 anchovies

¼ cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top

2 tablespoons fresh basil

2 oz small Yukon potato boiled and peeled

1-pound (450 grams) spaghetti or bucatini

One cup or more of pasta water

Shell the fava beans and discard the pods. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the shelled fava beans, and cook for about 1 minute. Drain and place beans in a bowl of ice-cold water, to cool. Drain again. Using your thumbnail, break the outer green skin of the bean and squeeze between thumb and forefinger: the bright green bean inside will pop right out. Set the beans aside and discard the tough, outer skins. Set aside about half a cup of the cooked peeled fava beans and toss with salt and olive oil to taste.

Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a boil in an 8-quart (8-liter) pot over high heat. Add 1/4 cup (35 grams) kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes.

While the past cooks, place the remaining fava beans, the cooked potato, the anchovies and the basil in a blender and puree. Add the pecorino cheese and add pasta water as needed to make a smooth sauce.

Place in a skillet and add the drained pasta, coat well and sprinkle more cheese on it. Add the remaining fava beans on top of the pasta once plated.

Serves 6 to 8.