Pasta Fave e Guanciale
This pasta fave e guanciale is a simple Roman dish made with fresh fava beans, crispy guanciale, and pecorino. Seasonal, comforting, and full of spring flavor in every bite.
In Rome, where I live, we wait all year for fresh fava beans to show up at the market, and when they do, this pasta fave e guanciale recipe is one of the first things I make.
It’s a beautiful mix of textures and flavors. Crisp, salty guanciale meets tender, sweet fave, all brought together with pasta and a bit of pecorino to make a creamy, cozy sauce.
This pasta with fave dish is rustic and unfussy, but full of character, like so many traditional Roman recipes from cucina povera. If you’ve never cooked with fresh fave, don’t worry! I’ll walk you through the simple steps.
What You’ll Need
- Fave: These fresh fava beans are the star of the dish! They’re sweet, nutty, and earthy.
- Guanciale: This crispy, fatty goodness is what makes the pasta fave and guanciale rich and flavorful. If guanciale is hard to find where you live, substitute with pancetta or smoked bacon.
- Pasta: I’m using orecchiette, but any short pasta works. It’s all about what you have on hand!
- Salt: Just a pinch.
- Pecorino: A generous sprinkle of this tangy, salty cheese finishes the dish beautifully.
Roman Pasta Fave e Guanciale (recipe with photos)
The first step is shelling the fava beans, which sounds boring but I actually kind of love it. Snap off the tip of each pod, pull down along the seam, and pop the beans out with your thumb.
You’ll get into a little rhythm, and before you know it, you’ve got a bowl full of green gems.
Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the beans for about 2 minutes, just to loosen their skins. Drain them and let them cool for a bit (or speed things up with a bowl of cold water).
Now comes the second layer of peeling. Use your thumbnail to gently pierce the skin, then pop the bright green bean right out. I won’t lie, this part is a little tedious, but totally worth it. And hey, put on music or rope someone in to help!
While you’re peeling, cook the pasta a minute or two less than the package says. You want it nice and al dente because it’ll finish cooking in the pan.
Cut your guanciale into thick 1 inch strips. Place guanciale in a pan and cook it slowly over medium-low heat. It’ll render its fat and get perfectly crisp around the edges, don’t rush it!
Once it looks golden and smells amazing, toss in the peeled fave and let them warm up and soak in that delicious guanciale flavor. Just a minute or so is enough.
Add your pasta straight into the pan, plus a ladle of pasta water. Stir it all together so the pasta finishes cooking and everything gets coated in that glossy, magical coating.
Turn off the heat, shower it with freshly grated pecorino (be generous!), and give it one last stir.
And that’s it, your delicious, salty-sweet pasta fave e guanciale is ready to go. Eat it warm, maybe with a glass of something nice, and feel very Roman about it. Buon appetito!
Storing Tips
If you somehow end up with leftovers (rare, but it happens!), just pop the pasta into an airtight container and stick it in the fridge. It’ll keep well for about 2 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, fava beans can get a weird texture after thawing.
To reheat your pasta fave and guanciale, add a splash of water to loosen things up (because the pasta will have soaked up all the moisture in the fridge), then warm it gently in a skillet over low heat. Stir it around until it’s heated through.
And if you feel like your fave pasta needs a little help, you can toss in a tiny knob of butter or an extra sprinkle of pecorino to bring it back to life. Microwave works too in a pinch, but stovetop is way better for texture.
Quick Answers to Your Questions
What are fava beans and where can I find them?
Fava beans are large, green beans that come in pods. You can usually find them at farmers’ markets or specialty grocery stores in spring when they’re in season. If you can’t find fresh, you can use frozen, just cook them according to the package instructions.
Can I make this dish vegetarian?
Sure! Skip the guanciale and add a little extra olive oil and maybe some sautéed mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes for a savory kick.
More Pasta Recipes
Fave Pasta With Guanciale
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds fresh fava beans (read notes)
- ½ cup guanciale (cut into 1-inch strips)
- 6 oz orecchiette pasta (or any short pasta)
- salt (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp pecorino cheese (or more, to taste)
Instructions
- Start by shelling the fresh fava beans: snap off the tip of each pod and pull down to open it along the seam. Use your thumb to pop out the beans. Discard the pods.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and blanch them for about 2 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly.
- Once they’re cool enough to handle, peel the beans by piercing the outer skin with your thumbnail and gently squeezing out the bright green bean inside. Discard the skins and set the peeled beans aside.
- While you peel the beans, bring another pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but drain it 1–2 minutes before it’s fully done.
- In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the guanciale. Cook until it starts to crisp and has released its fat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the peeled fava beans to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, just enough to combine flavors.
- Add the slightly undercooked pasta directly into the pan, along with a ladle of pasta cooking water. Stir everything together over medium heat for about 1 minute, until the pasta finishes cooking and a light, creamy sauce (la cremina!) forms.
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle generously with freshly grated pecorino, give it a final stir, and serve right away.
