SPRING FLAVOURS ! SPAGHETTI WITH BROAD BEANS

Broad beans and Pecorino cheese turn an ordinary pasta into something else. The cheese will make the beans sing!

Ingredients

• 500grams frozen broad beans
• 250grams spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 medium size shallots or a small onion, cut into very small cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100ml white wine
• 150ml chicken stock
• 1/2 cup torn mint leaves
• 75gram pecorino cheese, grated
• Mint leaves

Method

• Blanch the frozen broad beans in salted water for two minutes then drain and cool them under cold water.

• Peel off the broad bean skins with your thumbnail.

• In the mean time bring a large sauce pan of well salted water to the boil and drop in the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti until al dente.

• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook for 2 minutes or until it begins to crisp.

• Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.

• Deglaze the pan with the wine. Let the alcohol disappear then add the stock and bring to a simmer.
• Add the broad beans, simmer them until they are tender. Season the mixture to taste with salt and ground black pepper.

• Using tongs lift the pasta out of the water and toss it through the broad bean mixture. Add a little of the pasta water if necessary.

• Serve the pasta straight away with grated Pecorino Cheese and torn mint leaves.

Tips

• Sometimes it could be labour intensive to peel the broad beans, so be patient, but it is an easy job when they are frozen.
• I like to serve the pasta in the pan I cooked it in so that my family or my guests can help themselves. Put extra grated Pecorino cheese on the side as well as grated black pepper.