Oh hello, my dear blog! Long time no see. Roughly two months ago, I started a new job that involved a commute to a mysterious land called “the Peninsula” (that’s south of San Francisco, for you non-Bay Area folk). I spent 3 1/2 hours commuting on a good day and when there were delays, up to 5 hours a day. I was transferred to the San Francisco office a few weeks ago and I’m finally adjusting back to life as usual and getting into the habit of cooking on a daily basis – and of course, blogging! Much of what I’ve been cooking the last couple months are tried and true old favorites, but I’ve started to wipe the dust from my cookbooks and RSS reader again. I’ve had Turkish cuisine on my mind a lot lately, as Cory and I recently sown the seeds of planning a two-week trip to Turkey next April, and have started to dip my toes into exploring Turkish food. Those recipes will have to wait for another day, though.
Most of the cooking I do now is on Sundays, fresh from shopping for the week, when there is a seemingly endless amount of fresh produce at my disposal. I’ve been experimenting with making mini-feasts with mezzes, or pasta dishes when I don’t feel like cooking for three hours. Although fava beans can be a bit of a pain to prepare, I always look forward to fava bean seasonn. The nuttiness of fava beans lends well with pasta dishes. And it’s hard to go wrong when cooking with bacon and cheese!
Oh, and! Last Sunday was my 26th (!) birthday. I am generally not very big on birthday celebrations, but I am a fan of using my birthday as an excuse to eat whatever I like.
It’s true. Despite my love for Mediterranean food, what do I choose to eat on my birthday? Diner food and ice cream from Fentons Creamery in Oakland. Diner food is kind of my secret shame, but it’s also what I grew up eating. I suppose I won’t have to worry about splurging on diner food until Cory and I make the cross-country trek to the Midwest at the end of the summer. In any case, on with the pasta!
Pasta with Fava Beans, Kale, and Bacon
Print this recipe4 slices bacon, cooked and cut into 1″ pieces (reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease)
1 cup fava beans, shelled (that’s roughly 1 pound in the pod)
1 pound pasta of your choice (I used macaroni)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1/2 cup parmiggiano reggiano
salt & pepper, to tastePrepare the pasta:
Fill a large pot with water and boil pasta according to package directions. Rinse and set aside.Prepare the bacon:
In a large stockpot, cook bacon over medium-low heat. Once cooked, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and drain. Once bacon has cooled, cut into 1″ pieces and set aside. Reserve about a tablespoon of bacon grease.Prepare the fava beans:
Bring another large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the beans from their pods. By now, the water should be boiling. Blanch the beans for about 2 minutes and drain in a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Peel off and discard the outer shell. Set the fava beans aside.Bringing it all together:
Heat oil to a large pan (you may want to use a large pot, your pan may get very crowded). Once hot, add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until Cook until the cabbage has wilted, about 8-10 minutes. Once wilted, add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the kale and saute for 2-3, or just until the kale is beginning to wilt. Toss in the bacon, bacon grease, pasta, pasta, fava beans, parmiggiano reggiano, salt and pepper. Continue to saute until pasta is heated through. Serve immediately.Serves 6
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