Directions

Onion Confit: Cut off the tops and bottoms of the onions and cut the onions lengthwise in half. Remove the peel and outer layers. Cut a V wedge in the bottom of each half to remove the core and pull out any solid flat pieces from the center. Lay an onion half, cut side down, on a cutting board with the root end toward you. There are lines on the outside of the onion; cut along these lines (the grain) rather than against them to help the onions soften more quickly. Holding the knife almost parallel to the board, slice the onion lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, following the lines of the onion. Once you cut past the center of the onion, the knife angle will become awkward: Flip the onion onto its side (toward the knife), return the knife to the original position, and finish cutting the onion. Separate the slices of onion, trimming away any root sections that are still attached. Repeat with the remaining onions. (You should have about 8 cups of onions.) Warm 1/4 cup of water in a large pot over low heat. Add the butter and whisk gently to melt it. Add the onions, salt, and bouquet garni, stir to combine, and place a parchment “lid” (a piece of parchment, cut to fit) on top, pressing it against the onions. Cook very slowly, stirring the onions every 20 to 30 minutes at first, more often toward the end of cooking, for about 2 hours. The onions will wilt and steam will rise, but they should not brown. Check the onions after about 30 minutes: If they seem lost in the pot, transfer to a smaller pot and cut down the parchment lid to fit. If there is a lot of liquid remaining at this point, you can turn up the heat slightly to cook a bit more rapidly. After about 2 hours, the onions will have softened but should not be falling apart; there still may be liquid left in the pot. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Allow the onions to cool in their liquid. Transfer the onions, with their liquid, to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to a week. Drain the confit before using. Favas and Morels: Remove all the fava beans from their pods. Place the fava beans in a heat proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the beans to cover by about 1-inch. Let the beans sit undisturbed until the water has cooled enough so as to handle the beans. Start peeling the beans by using your thumbnail to nick a slit in the skin. Squeeze slightly, and the inner bean will pop right out. If possible start with the smaller beans working to the largest beans. Place the peeled favas in a bowl and set aside. Cut the morels in half lengthwise and set aside. In a large saute pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter. When the butter melts and begins to get foamy add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook an additional minute or two more until the pan nearly dry. Add the vermouth, deglazing the pan. Cook about 2 minutes then add the favas, stirring to combine. Turn off the heat, until ready to serve. Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a good heaping of salt and add the fresh pasta. Stir gently to keep it from sticking. Since it's fresh, it will cook in 3 or 4 minutes. Do not let it overcook! Fresh pastas with egg are often made with "soft" flour with less gluten than the "hard" durum wheat flour used in the best dried pasta. While the pasta cooks add about 2 cups of the onion confit to the fava and morel mixture. Reheat them together gently. Once the pasta is cooked use tongs to move it from the water to the fava, morel and onion pan. It's good to being a bit of the water along. In fact you may even need to add a bit more of the pasta water to achieve a good consistency of sauce. Pour the contents of the pasta pan onto a serving platter and garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Directions

ROSEMARY CREAM: In a small saucepan, bring the cream, rosemary and garlic to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer everything for about 6 minutes. The cream should thicken some. Strain the cream, discarding the solids. Season with a little salt and white pepper. Let the cream come to room temperature before serving Brown the bacon until crisp in a pan set over medium heat. Drain the bacon well between sheets of paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, chop it into small bits. Set aside until serving time. RAVIOLI: Place the fava beans in a mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. When the water is cool enough to touch, begin peeling by using your thumbnail to nick a slit in the skin. Pop the fava beans out of their skins by gently pressing each one between your thumb and index finger. Heat the oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallot; cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until soft, and additional 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to low. Then add all the different peas, (but not the fava beans) along with half of the parsley leaves. Stir to coat then add the water and wine; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the vegetables until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Let the mixture cool slightly before proceeding. Add the reduced pea mixture and the reserved fava beans to the bowl of a food processor. Puree the mixture. Working in manageable sized batches layout several wonton wrappers in front of you. Brush the edges of each wrapper with some lightly beaten egg. Place about 1 tablespoon of the pea mixture onto the center of each wonton. Top with a dry wonton; pressing them together at the edges to form a good seal. You may trim the raviolis with a 3-inch round cookie cutter, or leave un-trimmed for a more rustic appearance. Repeat the process with the remaining puree. You should get about 18 raviolis. Working in batches, cook the ravioli in salted simmering water about 2 minutes. They should rise to the surface when fully cooked. Remove the raviolis from the water and set them aside on a parchment-lined tray. Loosely cover the tray with aluminum foil. Continue until all the raviolis are cooked. You may do this an hour or two ahead by placing them single layer on a parchment lined tray, covered with another layer of parchment. But not too far ahead as the wontons can dry out easily. When it is time to serve the ravioli, melt the butter in a very large skillet set over medium heat. When the butter gets frothy, but before it starts to turn brown, add the chicken broth and the raviolis to the skillet tossing and gently stirring them until well coated and warmed through about 3 minutes. Spoon a little of the sauce into each bowl and top with 4 or 5 raviolis. Garnish with a drizzle of the rosemary cream, additional parsley and some of the reserved chopped bacon bits.

Directions

Risotto Bianco Bring the 4 cups of chicken broth to a simmer. Put the 2 T olive oil and 1 T butter into a separate slope-sided pan, add the onion, garlic, and celery, and cook very slowly over medium heat for about 15 minutes without coloring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat to medium-high. The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and keep stirring. Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladle fulls of stock, stirring as you go, allowing each ladle full to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 4 T butter and 1/2 C Pecorino Romano. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This will keep it from getting overcooked and allow it to get creamy. Fava Bean Puree Place the fava beans in a heat proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the beans to cover by about 1-inch. Let the beans sit undisturbed until the water has cooled enough so as to handle the beans. Start peeling the beans by using your thumbnail to nick a slit in the skin. Squeeze slightly, and the inner bean will pop right out. If possible start with the smaller beans working to the largest beans. Heat the 2 tablespoons of very good olive oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often until just beginning to brown. Scrape the garlic and it's oil into a food processor and add the fava beans, the remaining 1/2 cup of very good olive oil, salt and pepper, parsley, and the thyme. Pulse the mixture 5 or 6 times to get a rough puree. Add the chicken stock and blend a few seconds until somewhat smooth. Leave a little texture if possible. The puree will keep for 1 week covered in your refrigerator. To Serve Spoon the warm risotto into 4 serving bowls and top each with an even amount of fava bean puree. Serve each with some of the remaining Pecorino Romano.