It’s spring. It’s sprung. It’s here and is leaving just as quick, so get on it while you can.

For me, spring is all about the vegetables, much like how summer is all about the fruit and fall is all about the root veg and squash. Sugar snap peas come to mind immediately. Sweet, bright, crisp, exactly how a spring afternoon should feel. To capitalize on those fresh flavors, I chose the ultimate spring veg, the fava bean. With a buttery texture, slight bitterness and lovely, nutty flavor, the beans are perfect with the toothiness of a whole grain pasta. Plus, pasta is my default canvas for vegetables. Always delicious, it’s a no brainer. If fava beans aren’t your thing, replace the whole dish with fresh peas (or even frozen). Whipped up in under 15 minutes, this dish is guaranteed to leave every eater with a spring in their step (sorry…I’m so sorry, the puns, I can’t say no). Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

8 ounce farro pasta (or whole wheat, anything with a nice texture)

2 cup fava beans, peeled

1 small bunch fava tendrils (or any leafy green you like, such as arugula or spinach if the tendrils are hard to fine)

1/4 cup mint, chopped

2 garlic cloves

olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the favas for 1 minute, and dunk them in an ice bath. Peel the waxy coating around each bean. Place a 1/2 cup of the beans in a food processor with the garlic and mint, and plus until it forms a paste. Drizzle in olive oil until it forms a thick sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large saucepan, heat up some olive oil over a medium flame and add the remaining fava beans. Season them with salt and pepper, then add the fava tendrils. Stir then until they are limp and cooked down a bit. Add the pesto, and then add the cooked pasta plus a few tablespoons of their water. Stir until everything’s combined. Enjoy!