This super spring pasta takes advantage of Thomas Keller’s wonderful onion confit recipe to make fava and morel fresh linguine.
Sautéed Favas and Morels with Onion Confit and Fresh Linguine
Print This Recipe Yield 4Source The Onion Cifit come from Thomas KellerPublishedserves 4
Ingredients
- 2½ pound spanish or yellow onions
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 pound unshelled fava beans
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry vermouth
- 1 pound fresh linguine
- 3 tablespoon fresh italian parsley, chopped
- parmesan cheese to taste
- 1 pound morel mushrooms, cleaned
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 ¼‑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 ¼ 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.
I just couldn’t agree more. We should start a club! 😀 I have been mentioning this on several occasions in my blog, specially concerning delicate food, like macaron. I cringe when I see recipes that call for 2 egg whites. I’ve also been telling everyone I know to get a oven thermometer, because it seems, most ovens cheat and give out 10 to 20 degrees celsius more than indicated. But that’s another story! (another giveaway maybe?)
Great blog! (glad I helped with the semla! Let me know how they turn out!)
I have an old fashioned scale which works “okay.” I’m thinking after reading this I’m behind the times and should purchase something new like this. Very chic looking too.
Sorry, I don’t tweet, but if I did I would certainly mention this. Guess I need to get with the times on tweeting too.
Sam
Following you on Twitter and retweeted about the giveaway. That is one nice looking scale.
Nothing beats using an accurate scale especially when it comes to baking!
Happy baking everyone!
Heck! I could use a new scale!
Following now and retweeted too!
i retweeted! i’ve been dyyying for a food scale.
My no-fail macaron recipe requires a scale, please help!
I use my scale to measure out my morning yogurt and granola (yes, I am that anal) and to weigh meat, pastas, etc. Yesterday was the first time I BAKED using all weight measure rather than volume and this scale made it so easy, with its four modes.
I retweeted your announcement!
That’s corrected, and the post has been retweeted.
Agreed that good bakers weigh their ingredients! We don’t though. We must not be good bakers. You will be light years ahead of the rest of us once you start working with this baby.
What a great give-away. Scales are just so handy and helpful in the kitchen!
Greg, I have retweeted your post. Sharp looking scale!
If I haven’t mentioned this previously, I do so love your blog!
‑Elliott
I became a follower of SippitySup on Twitter, and re-tweeted your giveaway! Such a good giveaway — I don’t have a scale, and can’t wait to get one!
I got a scale in January right when I started bread baking and it has made my life so much easier. Now I can just mix everything together in one bowl without getting flour everywhere or worrying about sifting and all that other crap that comes along with measuring flour by volume. And you know what? My baked goods definitely taste better as a result. Awesome giveaway.
Great giveaway have always needed one never got around to buy one fingers crossed~
I’m going over to follow you and retweet!
Tweeted for you! I’m now following you also! I am a BIG baker. I don’t always weigh, but then I don’t have a great kitchen scale either.…just a really old one!
Funny, I’m the opposite. I’ve gotten into the habit of using scales for everything, even for measuring volume. 🙂
And of course, I’m already following you. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway! Fingers crossed…
I don’t tweet so I guess I can’t retweet — I’ll have to “retreat” instead.
It’s been a beautiful day in our neighborhood today hasn’t it — finally! Enjoy the rest of the weekend 🙂
I used to use a scale all the time in baking, then the scale disappeared in the move here. I have been too busy (lazy) to replace it.
P.s.
I have a vita-mix and love it! I would highly reccomend you get one!
With a scale like this, I’ll be holding many macaron trials on my blog! Great giveaway guys!
Old school scale, and it works wonderfully for measuring even meat portions so you eat the right amounts!
I will tweet this too!
Hi Greg,
I use a scale when a recipe calls for weighted measurements, but so often, it is hard to find a recipe that uses them! Am I continuing the trend by not posting them myself!? Shame on me.
me too! GREG
I dunno, how high IS the cliff? (And then run like hell!).
I read your blog for the same reasons you mention in your opening. Your blog pushes me outside my current scope of knowledge and my culinary comfort zone, which is a good thing.
OK I’ll retweet. My current scale is refusing to tare and I desperately need a new one. I have been known to wait like 10 mins between ingredients so I can weigh both which is a pathetic comment on our current finances but there you have it. 🙂 Besides I am a hard core believer in the scale, so maybe RTing your tweet will get more people to use one which one day will lead to American cookbooks finally being written in weight! If I read one more baking book that tells me it is important to be precise and then gives everything in volume I will scream.