Recipe Details

This quick pasta features fava beans; they're like a cross between asparagus and split peas, with a buttery texture and nutty taste that defines seasonal spring vegetables. They star alongside shrimp and pancetta is a dish that's a cinch to make.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fava beans in pods

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 pound fresh long pasta, such as tagliatelle, or 12 ounces dried spaghetti

• 6 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces (1 cup)

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

• 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and deveined

• 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced

• 1 lemon, halved

Description

1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Remove favas from outer pods and cook in a pot of salted boiling water until they float, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to ice-water bath; drain. Pinch tops of favas and squeeze out bright-green beans; you should have about 1 1/4 cups. (Blanched beans can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days, or frozen up to 3 months.)

2. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh, 8 to 10 minutes for dried. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a large straight-sided skillet, heat pancetta with 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add fava beans and stir to coat; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta and beans to a bowl.

4. Return skillet to medium-high heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, flipping once, until garlic is golden and shrimp curl and just turn opaque, about 2 minutes (they will continue to cook as they mix with the hot pasta).

5. Stir in sliced chile and fava-pancetta mixture. Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to skillet and cook, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add more pasta water, a spoonful at a time, and drizzle in a bit more oil if needed to create a silky sauce. Squeeze lemon over top and season to taste; serve immediately.