Need a Bit of Spring? Cook Creamy Fresh Fava Rotelle

Spring is a still a ways off, but I found some fresh fava beans at the market this week and couldn't resist picking up a big bag. Or at least I thought it was a big bag... By the time I shucked and peeled the beans, I could hold all the beans in one hand. Not really enough to make a dish out of it, but plenty for this easy weeknight pasta.

I decided to use Rotelle for this because they have so much surface area, which makes them perfect for rich creamy sauces like this one to cling to. They're also about the same size as the fava beans which means they don't all fall to the bottom like they would with smaller or thinner pastas. If you can't find Rotelle, this would work well with other pastas like Orecchiette, Farfalle, or even Penne.

For the sauce I borrowed a trick from my Macaroni and Cheese. Instead of making a classic bechamel sauce, I toss the Gouda in potato starch and whisk it into the hot cream, it creates a silky smooth sauce that's just the right consistency to coat each wheel of Rotelle.