One of the things that gets Southerners through our infamously steamy summers is the abundance and almost endless variety of fresh produce that thrives in that moist heat. And while not all of it can be eaten right off the vine like a cucumber, melon, or tomato, it doesn't take much cooking to bring out the best in it.
One of my favorite ways to do that without having a kitchen meltdown is to cook the vegetables very simply and use them as a sauce for pasta. From artichokes to zucchini, if it grows in their gardens, Italian cooks have found a way to pair it with pasta. In Emilia-Romagna, their justly-famous velvety egg pasta, cut into long tagliatelle or fettuccine noodles, is frequently sauced with green peas or fava beans.
The idea is lovely with our native butterbeans (lima beans to some of you—but don't try to argue the point with a Southerner). Simply enhanced with a little ham, shallot, and butter, they form their own creamy sauce that clings to the long ribbons of pasta, helping it catch and hold the beans and ham when it's twirled onto a fork.
These lovely, broad, flat beans are so versatile that one could almost cook them a different way every week of the summer and not once repeat a recipe. They're also one of the few legumes that hold up very well to freezing without losing much of their texture and buttery flavor. They're a blessing to have in the freezer year round, and bring a buttery hint of summer to winter's table.
Pasta with Butterbeans and Ham
The beans are briefly boiled until just tender in salted water, which can be done up to four days ahead: don't drain them but store them, tightly covered, in all their cooking liquid in the refrigerator. When you're ready to make the pasta, drain but reserve their liquid and, if their surface has gotten a bit starchy, put them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water.
Serves 4-6
2 generous cups small fresh or frozen green butterbeans (baby lima beans)
Salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and minced
2 ounces country ham cut from a 1/8-inch thick slice into 1/8-inch julienne
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Whole black pepper in a mill
1 pound fresh egg fettuccine or tagliatelle
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
1. Rinse the butterbeans well and put them in a heavy-bottomed 2-3-quart pot. Add enough water to cover them by at least 1 inch. Bring to boil, skimming off the foam that rises, and adjust the heat to a steady simmer. Simmer until almost tender, about 20 minutes for fresh beans, depending on their size and freshness, 8-10 minutes for frozen ones. Season lightly with salt (the ham will be salty and you can adjust the seasoning later). Continue simmering until they're just tender. Turn off the heat and drain the beans but reserve their cooking liquid.
2. Put on 4 quarts of water to boil in a heavy-bottomed 6-quart pot over high heat. Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of the butter, the oil, and the shallot in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté, tossing often, until it's colored the palest gold; add the ham and toss until it loses its raw, red color.
3. Add the drained butterbeans and thyme and season with pepper to taste. Toss until the beans are hot, then add enough of their reserved cooking liquid to barely cover them. Bring it to a boil and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
4. When the pasta cooking water is boiling, stir in a small handful of salt and the fettuccine. Cook until al dente, about 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta, a little longer for dried. Drain, reserving a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the pasta and remaining butter to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. If it isn't creamy enough, add a spoonful or so of the reserved pasta water. Add ¼ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, toss well, and if it seems a bit dry, add another spoonful of reserved pasta water. Add another ¼ cup of the cheese, the parsley and toss well. Serve immediately, passing the remaining cheese separately.