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1
Place the pancetta or guanciale lardons in a wide, heavy-based pot with the olive oil over a low flame. Render slowly until the fat is translucent and the meat has softened — it should not colour.
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2
Add the sliced spring onions to the rendered fat. Cook gently, stirring once or twice, until they are soft and without any raw bite — they should smell sweet, not sharp.
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3
Add the trimmed artichoke sixths and the double-peeled fava beans. Pour in one ladleful (approximately 60 ml) of water. Stir once to coat everything in the fat. This step decides the dish: the heat must remain very low and the lid must sit tight — the vegetables braise in their own steam, not in added liquid, and it is here that the olive oil and vegetable juices form their emulsion. If the heat climbs, the artichokes fibres and the favas burst; if the pot is left uncovered, the moisture escapes and no emulsion forms.
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4
Braise, covered, on the lowest heat available, until the artichokes yield without resistance to the tip of a knife and the favas are silky rather than mealy. Lift the lid and tilt the pot: the cooking liquid should appear lightly thickened and opaque — the sign the emulsion has taken.
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5
Remove from the heat. Tuck in the sprigs of nepitella or fresh mint and replace the lid for two minutes. The aroma that rises when the lid is lifted should carry the herb clearly without overwhelming the fava and artichoke.
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6
Serve directly from the pot, with toasted bread rubbed with garlic alongside. The olive oil emulsion in the base of the pot is the sauce; spoon it over each portion.