Ingredients (for 4 persons):
- fava beans – about 3 c
- 1 white onion
- 2 slices of Italian pancetta or guanciale (pork cheek)
- olive oil , q. b. (“quanto pasta” or “as much as you need”)
- salt, q. b.
- tomato sauce – about 2 liters
- pecorino cheese, q. b.
- pasta, penne or rigatoni (Hint: use 1 lb of pasta for every 5 persons)
Cook fava beans til almost tender in salted boiling water. Drain, rinse in cold water. Set aside. Cover sauce pan with olive oil and when hot but not burning, add chopped pancetta or guanciale. Simmer til golden – remove from heat and pat dry. Set aside.
Add diced onion to the oil and simmer til golden. Return pancetta or guanciale to sauce pan and add tomato sauce. Simmer about 15 mins. and then add fave beans and simmer til fave beans are soft and sauce is reduced.
Optional: hot red pepper is a wonderful addition to this sauce.
Cook penne or rigatoni pasta in salted boiling water. Drain when al dente, saving some of the pasta water in case needed to add to sauce to moisten.
Stir in the sauce of fave, sprinkle with pecorino.
