Paccheri with Favette, Red Prawns, Lemon Zest and Stracciatella

Paccheri with Favette, Red Prawns, Lemon Zest and Stracciatella

Story of the Dish

This is a modern southern Italian spring pasta. Favette and red prawns are a perfect contrast: the beans are green and sweet, the prawns are delicate and almost buttery, and the stracciatella gives softness. Lemon zest keeps the dish fresh and elegant.

Paccheri work beautifully because they hold the fava cream and pieces of prawn inside the pasta.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 g paccheri / about 14 oz

• 250 g shelled fresh fava beans / about 1 1/2 cups

• 300 g red prawns or large shrimp / about 10 oz

• 150 g stracciatella / about 5 oz

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove

• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil / 1/4 cup

• Fresh basil or mint

• Salt, for pasta water

• Black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Blanch the favette for 1 minute, then cool them in ice water. Peel them if needed. Blend most of the favette with olive oil, basil or mint, black pepper and a little pasta water until smooth. Keep some whole for garnish.

Clean the prawns. If they are very fresh and sushi-grade, keep them raw and season lightly with olive oil, lemon zest and salt. Otherwise, sear them quickly in a pan for just a few seconds per side.

In a wide pan, warm olive oil with one garlic clove, then remove the garlic.

Cook the paccheri in salted boiling water, removing them 3 minutes before al dente. Transfer them into the pan and begin to risottare with pasta water.

Add the fava cream and continue cooking the paccheri in the sauce, adding pasta water until the cream becomes smooth and glossy.

Turn off the heat. Add lemon zest and whole favette.

Plate with red prawns, stracciatella, black pepper, fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Wine Pairing

Pair with Fiano di Avellino or Etna Bianco. Both wines have enough minerality and structure for prawns, stracciatella and the sweetness of fava beans.

Chef Tips

The prawns must stay delicate. Do not overcook them. The fava cream should taste fresh and green, not heavy. Stracciatella goes on only at the end, never cooked into the sauce.

Chef Gianluca Deiana