Elizabeth Hewson’s spring broadbean pasta

This is a recipe that has a freshness and lightness to it – a spring in its step, one could say.

Broadbean pasta by Elizabeth Hewston. Photo: Nikki To

Spring pricks the senses like no other season. Even in Australia, where the seasons often blend together, there is an awakening as we all emerge from the cold of winter. The scent of jasmine and freshly cut grass linger in the air; spring brings new life and marks the start of longer days. It’s a time of wonder and joy.

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I get a bit over excited when I see broad beans pop up at the markets. They capture the beauty and care of mother nature so beautifully. Tiny green beans are spaced thoughtfully apart, carefully wrapped in a cloud-like padding and enclosed in long pods. Preparing them for cooking demands a certain attention to detail. I am usually one to shy away from anything that has too much preparation around it, but broad beans are worth the time.

Broadbeans. Picture: Nikki To

Shelling broadbeans has ­become a spring-time ritual that I relish. I lay a rug on the grass, ­usually with a tea or G&T by my side, then slowly work through the pile of tangled beans. To get the best of the bean, they need to be double podded to remove their slightly bitter, thick external skin. After a quick blanch, I sit and pod them again, this time revealing the tiniest, brightest green beans. They are a complete joy.

My favourite way to eat them is with a ­perfect loaf of bread, where the crust shatters when you cut through it, broad beans piled on top. I simply take a piece of bread, rub it with a garlic clove, dose it in olive oil, then char it on the grill. A clean wipe of ricotta follows, with the beans splashed with lemon juice, grassy olive oil and salt flakes.

Today, though, I’m doing these green ­beauties in a lemon mascarpone pasta. This is a recipe that has a freshness and lightness to it – a spring in its step, one could say.

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Broadbean pasta

Ingredients

• 450-500g broad beans in their pods (once podded this will reduce to 150g or so of beans)
• Long dried pasta for 2, such as linguine, spaghetti or bucatini
• 80g mascarpone
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 25g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus extra to serve (roughly ½ cup)
• Zest 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (roughly the juice of half a lemon)
• Pinch of salt, to your liking
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves, picked

Method

1. Pod your broad beans. Bring a large pot of water to a bubbling boil. Season well. Plunge broad beans into the pot and cook for 1 minute. Scoop beans out and throw into a bowl of ice water. (This will stop them cooking and make it easier to take their second skin off.) Keep water boiling for your pasta. When cool enough to handle, peel beans again to reveal the bright green beans. Set aside.
2. You may notice at this point that your boiling water has turned pink – I had to refer to my co-contributor, Lennox Hastie, to confirm what exactly was happening with this. Apparently, it’s the tannins in the skin of the beans, which is why the water develops a bitterness and discolours the water like tea. It’s perfectly safe and fine to cook your pasta in. Cook pasta until al dente.
3. Add the mascarpone, oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, zest and juice to a bowl. Stir, then season generously with salt and pepper. Add most of your cooked broad beans, saving a few to garnish. Scoop out ½ cup of pasta cooking water and put aside. Drain pasta and return to the pot with your mascarpone mixture. Forcefully stir to bring the sauce together, adding half your reserved pasta water in to loosen things up. Taste and adjust to your liking. You may want to add more lemon juice. Serve pasta, garnish with mint leaves and reserved broad beans, extra Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy immediately – this pasta does not wait for anyone. Serves 2