Molise, southern Italy
Tacconi are broad, irregular hand-torn pasta squares — made from a coarse mix of semolina and farro or barley flour — that are roughly torn rather than cut, giving them uneven edges that grip sauce. The sauce is a simple combination of fresh fave (shelled broad beans) or rehydrated dried fave, pancetta tesa (flat cured pork belly) cut into lardons and rendered until crisp, onion softened in the pancetta fat, and a ladleful of pasta cooking water to bind. The cooked tacconi are tossed vigorously in this sauce with torn flat-leaf parsley and grated Pecorino. A dish of spring or late winter depending on whether fresh or dried fave are used.
Sweet, green fave; nutty, slightly bitter farro pasta; salty, savoury crisp pancetta; the pasta water emulsification provides a glossy coating that unifies all components.
{"Tear the pasta squares by hand — scissors or a pastry wheel produce uniform edges that don't grip sauce as effectively as torn irregular edges","Render the pancetta until crisp before adding any other ingredient: the rendered fat is the sauce base","Fresh fave from young pods need only 3–4 minutes in the sauce; dried and rehydrated fave need 8–10 minutes at a simmer","Use the pasta cooking water generously: it emulsifies the pancetta fat into a silky, clinging sauce","The farro or barley flour in the pasta dough gives it a nutty, slightly bitter character that contrasts the sweet fave"}
{"Blanch fresh fave and remove the grey inner skins if more than half-grown — the inner fave are sweeter and more vibrant green","A tablespoon of fresh mint torn over the finished plate is a Molisana refinement that lifts the earthy fave","The same sauce works with maltagliati or broken pappardelle if tacconi are unavailable"}
{"Using all semolina for the pasta — without the barley or farro flour the tacconi lack their characteristic nuttiness and the rougher texture that makes them distinctive","Adding fresh fave to the pan too early — they become mushy and grey if overcooked","Skipping the pasta water emulsification step, resulting in oily rather than glossy sauce","Using American bacon instead of pancetta — the smokiness overwhelms the delicate fave"}
La Cucina di Molise: Tradizioni e Ricette della Regione più Piccola d'Italia