Yuba Pappardelle with English Peas, Fava Leaves, and Basil
For pea purée:
1/2 cup homemade or purchased vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups (12 ounces) fresh English peas
For pappardelle:
2 cups Homemade Buttermilk or whole milk
6 sheets fresh or frozen (thawed) yuba (about 6 ounces) cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh English peas
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup fresh fava leaves, loosely packed
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn and loosely packed (about 24 leaves)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
.
Make pea purée: In 10-inch sauté pan over moderately high heat, bring
vegetable stock and salt to boil. Add peas and simmer, uncovered, until
bright green and almost tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer peas and cooking liquid to blender and blend on high until very
smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. (Purée can be made ahead and
refrigerated, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 12 hours. To maintain
peas’ vibrant green color, cool purée over ice bath before refrigerating.)
Make pappardelle: In medium saucepan over moderate heat, stir together
buttermilk, yuba, peas, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to simmer, then reduce
heat to low, cover, and cook until peas are just tender, about 2 minutes.
Stir in pea purée and fava leaves, cover, and cook until fava leaves are
wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in basil, remaining 1/4
teaspoon salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.
Test-Kitchen Tips:
Yuba is available at many Asian markets. If you can’t find it fresh or
frozen, you can substitute dried—six sheets will be about one ounce. Soak
the dried strips in warm water for ten minutes and then drain them well
before adding to the buttermilk.
If you don’t want to make your own buttermilk, you can substitute regular
whole milk. Do not substitute commercially made buttermilk, which is
cultured and has a sour flavor.
Fava leaves are the leaves of the plant that produces fava beans. They’re
generally available in markets in the spring. Other fresh spring greens,
such as pea shoots or baby spinach, can be substituted.
Chef Daniel Patterson