Farfalle Pasta with Fava Bean Pesto

A riff on pesto pasta using my favorite spring vegetable

Fava beans are one of my favorite spring vegetables, but they are only available at my local farmers' market for a few short weeks every year during the spring. This recipe transforms the beans into a smooth pesto by cooking the beans with garlic, chile, and olive oil until tender and then blending them with pine nuts, parsley, and parmesan cheese. The pesto is rich and thick and makes a great sauce for hot pasta. There is actually a lot of vegetables in every serving, which makes it a filling one-pot meal. Make extra pesto and spread it onto a sandwich or serve it as a dip later in the week.


Related Recipes:
- Pasta with Mashed Fava Beans
- Creamy Linguine with Peas
- Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken, Peas, & Fava Beans


Farfalle Pasta with Fava Bean Pesto:
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. fava beans in pods, beans removed from pods
- 1 lb. farfalle pasta
- 3/4 c. fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
- pinch of red chile flakes
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in the fava beans, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Drain the beans and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel off the outer skin of the fava beans and discard.*
• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat and add in the garlic, chile flakes, and fava beans. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the fava beans are soft.
• Transfer the fava bean mixture to a food processor and add the pine nuts and parsley. Pulse until this forms a paste.
• Slowly stream in 1/4 c. olive oil, then stir in the parmesan cheese. Check for seasoning.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook the pasta according to package directions.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 c. pasta cooking liquid.
• Add the pasta back to the pot and toss with the fava bean pesto and some of the cooking water.
• Divide onto plates and sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese.

Serves four

*Fava beans can be prepped and refrigerated a few days in advance.

Light & Herby Potato Salad

A mayo-less potato salad with lots of green herbs

As someone who hates mayonnaise, traditional American potato salad (and egg salad, chicken salad, etc.) is one of my worst nightmares. This recipe is a much lighter take on the classic, with perfectly cooked Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and lots of green herbs, all tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette. The warm potatoes soak up the dressing and take on the zippy flavor of the vinegar and mustard. The herbs add freshness and the onion adds a sweet crunch for a balanced side dish that's much lighter than the traditional. You can make it ahead and leave it out at all day at a picnic and you don't have to worry about it spoiling because it has no mayo. Bring it to your friends' BBQs all summer long and pair it with ribs, burgers, grilled chicken, and more.

Note: The key to a good potato salad is perfectly cooked potatoes. They should be tender but not falling apart.


More (Not Green) Salad Recipes:
- Grilled Corn Salad with Red Onion, Feta, & Cilantro
- Green Bean Salad
- Farro, Asparagus, & Tomato Salad


Potato Salad with Green Herbs & Red Onion:
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. chives, minced
- 1/4 c. parsley, minced
- 1/4 c. dill, minced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water by 1".
• Bring the pot to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the tip of a sharp knife easily goes into the potato.
• Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl. Toss with the rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
• Add the parsley, dill, chives, and red onion and stir to combine.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, mustard, and a big pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
• Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss to coat. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. This can sit out for several hours or be refrigerated for a few days.

Serves four-eight (side dish)

Ginger-Miso Snap Pea, Radish, & Napa Cabbage Salad

Crunchy sliced vegetables in a creamy Japanese-style dressing

The side salads I make for dinner are usually an afterthought, just some mixed greens and maybe some leftover veggies or cheese tossed with olive oil and lemon. There's nothing wrong with that, but when I make salads like this Smitten Kitchen-inspired snap pea, radish, and napa cabbage salad with creamy ginger-miso dressing, I never want to eat a simple green salad again. The main star is the ginger-miso dressing, which is salty, sweet, nutty, and creamy without the addition of any dairy. If you don't want to go through the hassle of prepping and slicing all the vegetables (but you should - it's worth it), you could put the dressing on some romaine lettuce and call it a day. The salad is heavy on crisp-tender sugar snap peas, which are in season for the next couple of months and are so sweet that you might even be able to skip blanching them and use them completely raw.  The napa cabbage adds bulk and the radishes add bite for a crunchy salad that will hold up to the dressing and can even sit out for a bit without wilting. You could add some shredded chicken to make this a main course, but I served it as a side dish to sticky Asian wings (coming to KSD soon).

Note: The dressing can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple days, in case you want to plan ahead and double the recipe for more salads later in the week.


Related Recipes:
- Grilled Sesame-Soy Bok Choy Salad
- Kale Soba Noodle Bowl with Ginger-Lime Dressing
- Miso Asian Pear Salad


Snap Pea, Radish, & Napa Cabbage Salad with Creamy Ginger-Miso Dressing:
Ingredients
- 1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 lb. sugar snap peas
- 4-5 large radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 4 scallions, ends removed, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden
- 1/4 c. rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 tbsp. canola or olive oil
- 2 tbsp. tahini paste*
- 2 tbsp. miso paste + more to taste
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced

Recipe

• In a blender, combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, canola oil, tahini, miso, honey, ginger, and garlic and blend until smooth. Set the dressing aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the sugar snap peas. Boil for 1 minute, then drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water.
• Let the sugar snaps cool in the water, then pat dry with a towel and thinly slice, removing any tough stems or strings.
• Combine the snap peas with the cabbage, radishes, scallions, and half of the sesame seeds.
• Add most of dressing and toss to coat. Add more dressing if needed and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

Serves four-six (side dish)
*Sesame seed paste. Often found by the nut butters in the grocery store.