Photo courtesy of Ratanà Milano
Tubetti with peas, broad beans and fresh herbs
Ingredients
Tubetti pasta: 240g/8.5 oz
Vegetable broth: 2l/quarts
White onion: 1/2, sweet
Broad beans: 100g/3.5 oz, (white and sweet)
Peas: 200g/7 oz, (shelled)
Fresh herbs: 80g/2.8 oz
Edible flowers: Mixed aromatic, to garnish
A 100% vegan dish of tubetti pasta with peas, broad beans and fresh herbs, perfect for spring and summer, by chef Cesare Battisti from Ratanà in Milan.
Tubetti is a variety of pasta that, as the name suggests, has the shape of small tubes or short straws. They are often used in Italian cuisine to prepare pasta dishes in broth, soups or stews, but they can also be used in more creative dishes. Their shape is suitable for capturing flavourful sauces exactly as in the recipe created by Cesare Battisti where the pea and broad bean cream envelops the small pasta.
Method
Bring 200ml/7 fl oz of water to a boil and add salt. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the peas and set aside the broth.
Boil the tubetti pasta in the strained pea broth.
Sauté half a sweet onion without allowing it to colour.
Add the peas to the onion, making sure to set aside a small handful.
Moisten with a ladle of broth.
Cook for 1 minute.
Puree the mixture in a blender while adjusting for salt and pepper.
Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil.
When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce, keeping it away from the heat.
Stir well.
Garnish with the reserved raw peas and the broad beans.
Arrange the herbs (thyme, wild fennel, marjoram, fresh oregano, savory, chives, and mint) and the edible flowers on top.
Serve warm and enjoy with a spoon.
