Make Ahead

Kale and Fava Bean Pasta

by:
May 13, 2012
4.8
4 Ratings
  • Serves lots
Author Notes

I tend to use canned fava beans, but fresh ones in the spring are so great, so I've included directions for using both. I love kale and favas together, but this is also good with other combinations, like spinach and cannelloni. This recipe is no-fuss, adaptable, lots of wiggle room, delicious, satisfying. The trick for me is getting the greens, legumes/protein and pasta all in one dish! —mdm

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 15 oz. can fava beans -- or fresh and cannelloni is a great sub here
  • 1 bunch chopped kale ( a few cups -- will cook down)
  • 1 bag of wide egg noodles
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (more or less, to taste)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (I love the fire-roasted)
Directions
  1. Boil a large pot of water, with a pinch of salt. Cook pasta according to directions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, cover, reduce heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or longer (if I have things to do around the kitchen I'll stick it on low and let it go for awhile).
  3. Add the beans and kale, cover cook for another 10 minutes, until the kale cooks down and the beans are not too mushy.
  4. Note: in this recipe I'm using canned favas, but sometimes I do use fresh. Here's how I prep it for saute: shell the beans, parboil in salted water for a few minutes, drop in ice water, and then add then to the saute them for 5 or so minutes.
  5. Toss veg with the pasta, adding the reserved cooking water (a little at a time) to keep it moist. Salt and pepper to taste, adding spicy red better if you want a bit of heat. Add grated parmesan to taste.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • mdm
    mdm
  • Tinaindenver
    Tinaindenver

3 Reviews

mdm July 9, 2012
Oh gosh, thanks for pointing this out! I use a large can of diced tomatoes -- though fresh would work fine, too -- super adaptable.
 
mdm July 9, 2012
Oh gosh, thanks for pointing this out! I use a large can of diced tomatoes -- though fresh would work fine, too -- super adaptable.
 
Tinaindenver July 7, 2012
The directions mention tomatoes, but they are not mentioned in the ingredient list. What type of tomatoes are you using and how much?