Ingredients for four servings

300 gr. orecchiette pasta 500 gr. dried fava beans 300 gr. black olives 50 gr. aged ricotta cheese (sheep’s milk ricotta, salted and aged) 40 gr. cherry tomatoes extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) , salt, pepper and garlic as needed bay leaves 50 gr. celery 50 gr. carrots 50 gr. onions

Preparation:

Soak the dried fava beans overnight.
Place the fava beans in a pot with the bay leaves, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Cook until the fava beans are almost a purée, remove the bay leaves, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions and garlic and purée with an immersion blender with olive oil until creamy in consistency, this is called “favetta” which should be kept warm.

In a separate pot boil water, salt it and cook the orecchietta pasta for 5 minutes, strain then combine the “favetta” with the oriecchietta pasta in a large frying pan, heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pit the black olives and sauté in a frying pan with some grated aged ricotta cheese.

Serve the pasta accompanied by the olives on the side. Season generously with new EVOO.