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A large sauté pan holds fusilli pasta with sautéed fava beans and mint.

Easy Weeknight Pasta with Sautéed Fava Beans and Mint

Frances Kellar
An easy weeknight pasta dish that's perfect for those summer time fava beans!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb pasta shape of choice
  • 1 lb fava beans when shelled they'll about ¼ cup
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 1 medium leek, cleaned and sliced into half moon slices
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated parmesan for garnish optional

Instructions
 

Preparing and Shelling Fava Beans

  • Prep the fava beans by first removing the outer pod. Snap off the tip of the pod and pull the string down to open the pod, as if unzipping it. Next, remove the beans, depending on the size of the pod you'll have anywhere from 3 to 5 beans in the pod. Using a sharp knife, cut a small slit near the top of each bean to help the outer skin remove more easily post blanching.
  • Place your shelled beans in a small, heat safe bowl. Bring a couple cups of water to a boil in a separate pot or tea kettle, then pour the boiled water over the shelled beans. Allow beans to blanch for about 5 to 10 minutes to help soften the outer skin. Once cool enough to handle, remove the outer skin of each bean to reveal the fresh fava bean. Note: For one pound of beans, it will yield about ¼ cup of freshly shelled beans.

Preparing the Pasta Dish

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
  • While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for 3 minutes until the leeks become soft and translucent. Add garlic and stir for a minute just until fragrant. Add peas and fava beans and sauté until the legumes are just soft, about 7 minutes. Add butter and lemon zest. Melt butter and stir all ingredients together until a sauce begins to form, about 2 minutes.
  • Drain the cook pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of pasta water to help sauce, if needed. Add the cooked pasta to the sauté pan and stir to combine. Finish with grated parmesan, if using, and the chopped fresh mint and basil.
  • Ladle pasta into bowls and garnish with more chopped fresh mint, basil, and cheese.
Keyword vegetarian recipes, easy weeknights, easy pasta recipes, vegetarian pastas, summer recipes, fava beans
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