the goose loves pasta carbonara

This was dinner several weeks ago. But it got lost in my photos folder, and I completely forgot to post! So consider this a trip down memory lane, of sorts.

Every week we get a delivery of literally farm-fresh vegetables. Usually we get things we know how to use, like lettuce and carrots and summer squash. But sometimes we get things that throw us for a loop, like dragon's tongue beans and bok choi. I don't even know if I spelled that right.

So for two weeks in a row a few weeks ago, we got fava beans. Fava-what? Yeah, exactly. Well fava beans look like a mix between lima beans and edamame (the Japanese bean). They're in a shell like edamame, but when they come out, they're a brigher version of the lima. Big and green and soft! Pretty tricky to prepare, though - there are about 4 layers of things to remove to get to the good part.

The first week we got fava beans, we made fava bean hummus. Good, but not as good as normal hummus. And the bright green color, although pretty, throws you off.

The second week, we thought of mixing them in pasta. Better idea. We also thought of putting bacon in the pasta. Even BETTER idea! Fava+Bacon=Delicious. But who puts bacon in pasta? Only those Italians (or wanna-be-Italians) that make Carbonara.

It's like pasta for breakfast - bacon and eggs and some other good stuff!
We boiled some penne, to be traditional. Look how fast Billy stirs the pasta!Here he is, at regular speed, showing you some delish penne. Meanwhile, I get the good job of chopping the bacon. I think we had about 4 slices on hand? Mmmm, bacon. Mmmm, penne.

For the sauce, we chopped onions and sauteed them in olive oil with the fava beans. So bright, right?

The garlic, pictured below in our fancy garlic chopper from Billy's dad, was incorporated into the saute above. After everything got nicely browned and translucent, we deglaced with white wine. But not just any white wine - this is a 2007 Vanel Chardonnay, first served at our wedding! (Don't worry, we opened a new bottle of it. Pretty sure white doesn't stay good that long).

And added some freshly chopped basil, also from our farm share.

Mmmm, bacon. And here's the magic - after you have your saucy stuff done, you mix everything together - basil, bacon, saucy stuff, and pasta. Mix well, adding some more good olive oil to make sure things are not dry and clumpy.

And finally, the fun part! Once your pasta has reheated, pour your two scrambled (uncooked) eggs into the pan, and then stir frequently. Make sure your eggs are dispersed and cooking, but not overcooking and getting crusty. Thus concludes your breakfast pasta with fava beans. Easy, right?

For those of you who don't want to measure the ingredients by counting the quantities of noodles and basil leaves in the photos above, here's the general recipe:

Pasta Carbonara, Goose Style (serves two people and two work lunches)

--1/2 lb pasta (any shape will do)

--4 slices bacon, chopped

--1/2 onion, chopped

--1 clove garlic, chopped

--1 cup fava beans from your farm share

--1/2 cup white wine from your wedding

--2 eggs, scrambled but not cooked

--1/4 cup parmesan cheese

--salt/pepper to taste

--fresh basil/parsely for garnishing

--olive oil for cooking

1. Cook pasta, until "all denty," as Billy says. Mix with olive oil to keep from clumping when done.

2. Saute bacon until crispy, remove from pan.

3. Saute onions, fava beans, and garlic, until translucent and smelling good.

4. Deglace with the white wine (broth or water are good too, or skip this step).

5. Add bacon and pasta into pan, mix well until pasta is reheated. Add olive oil to keep from sticking.

6. Add beaten eggs, tossing until eggs are basically set.

7. Add parmesan cheese, tossing lightly.

8. Serve with parm on the side, and basil/parsely on top. (We added our basil in the saute because we like it like that.)

9. Eat