PASTA WITH BROAD BEAN AND HERB PESTO

First of all I would like to say Hi Melanie! And now when I have done that, I'd like to suggest her and you to make this pasta with broad bean and herb pesto because I think it will make you happy. It made me happy but then it is not that difficult to make me happy when it comes to food, I am not a fussy person, well a bit when it is me cooking but not when someone else has cooked me something. But this I cooked and it made me happy. In spring we have a very typical broad bean dish, or fave as they are called in Italian, here in Tuscany, you eat fresh ones with pecorino cheese and bread but I wanted to go on step beyond that but still keep the main ingredients so I made a 'pesto' with broad beans, pecorino cheese, sage and mint instead.



If you cannot find fresh broad beans, use frozen ones or try some other type of fresh, green beans. And if you can't find pecorino cheese, use parmesan instead






PASTA WITH BROAD BEAN AND HERB PESTO
4 servings

400 gr pasta
1-1,2 kg/2,2-2,6 lb fresh broad beans, pods and all
5-6 leaves fresh sage
8-10 leaves fresh mint
6-8 tblsp pecorino cheese, freshly grated
salt
6-8 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

- Put on the pasta water and cook the pasta during the other procedures of this recipe.
- De-pod the broad beans and boil them in lightly salted water for 4-5 minutes. Drain the water and then press out the actual bean from the skin.
- Chop the herbs coarsely and put them in a mortar together with 2/3 of the broad beans (save the rest for later), add cheese, olive oil and a pinch of salt before you start the pestling. You can also let it do a quick run in a blender but I prefer the rougher texture you get when you use a mortar.
- Add the remaining broad beans and stir, if needed you can add more olive oil or a little of the cooking liquid, the pesto should have a slightly runny consistency.
- Mix the broad bean pesto with the freshly cooked pasta and serve.