Fresh Cavatelli with Favas

• 4 pounds fresh fava beans in the pods
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
• 1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) Fresh Cavatelli (page 275), or 1 pound dried pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino
• 6-to-8-ounce chunk ricotta salata
• A large pasta pot; a heavy-bottomed skillet or saute pan, 12-inch diameter or larger; a hand grater with large shredding holes (a flat, box, or rotary grater); a wire strainer

1. To blanch the favas: Fill the pasta pot with 4 quarts water, and heat to a boil.
2. Split open the fava pods, and collect the beans, still covered with a thick skin.
3. When the water is boiling, drop in the favas, and blanch them for 2 minutes, just until they turn green and the skin has loosened.
4. Lift out the beans with a wire strainer, and drop them into a bowl of ice water, to set the color.
5. When theyre chilled, drain the beans and peel off the skins; you should have about 3 cups of fully peeled favas.
6. Now pour at least 2 more quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt into the hot blanching water, and heat again to the boil, to cook the cavatelli.
7. To make the sauce: Pour the olive oil into the skillet, and set it over medium heat.
8. Stir in the onion, garlic, and peperoncino.
9. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Ladle a cup or so of the pasta cooking water into the skillet, and simmer until the onion begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Spill in the favas, and season with the salt, ladle in another 3 cups of pasta water, and bring to a steady simmer.
12. Cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the favas are very tender and beginning to break down and thicken the sauce.
13. Keep the sauce barely simmering while you cook the pasta.
14. With the pasta water at a rolling boil, drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return quickly to a boil.
15. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cavatelli are al dente, lift them out with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and spill them into the skillet.
16. Toss well, to coat the cavatelli evenly with the fava dressing.
17. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the grated pecorino over the skillet, and toss again.
18. Heap the cavatelli in warm bowls, and shred the ricotta salata chunk through the large holes of the hand grater, showering slivers on each serving.
19. Serve immediately, passing the rest of the chunk of ricotta salata and the grater at the table, for adding seasoning as needed.

fava beans, kosher salt, extravirgin olive oil, onion, garlic, peperoncino flakes, batch, freshly grated pecorino, ricotta salata, pasta

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-cavatelli-with-favas-372350 (may not work)