Pasta with Fava Beans, Guanciale, and Pecorino

Method

1. Shell the fresh fava beans and blanch them in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to ice water to shock them and preserve their green color.
2. Cut the guanciale into 1 cm cubes. In a cold pan, add the guanciale and render over medium heat until crispy and golden. Remove the guanciale and set aside, reserving the rendered fat.
3. In a blender, combine the blanched fava beans, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a splash of water, a pinch of salt, a generous grind of black pepper, and some of the reserved guanciale fat. Blend until smooth.
4. Pass the fava bean cream through a fine sieve to achieve a velvety texture.
5. Cook the mezzi rigatoni in the water used to blanch the fava beans until al dente. Reserve some pasta water.
6. In a pan, combine the cooked pasta with the fava bean cream. Add a generous amount of grated pecorino Romano and some crispy guanciale. Toss well, adding a little pasta water if needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
7. Serve the pasta, topping with additional crispy guanciale, a few raw fava beans, and a final grind of black pepper.