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Prepare Vegetables:
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1. To prepare the favas, split open the pods and remove the beans. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Place a bowl filled with ice water near your stove top. Drop the beans into the boiling water and blanch for
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1 minute. Drain the beans and quickly plunge them into the ice water. With your fingernail, pierce the skin of each bean near one end and squeeze the bean gently to pop free of the skin. Don't worry if the beans separate into halves. You should have about 1 cup beans.
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2. Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus stalks and peel the bottom 2 inches. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
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4. Heat chicken broth and keep warm over low heat.
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5. Warm the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add sliced onion or scallion. Saute until translucent and softened, about 3 minutes.
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6. Add rice; stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 minutes.
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7. Add wine; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 1 minute.
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8. Add broth 1/2 cup at a time until rice is about half cooked, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, about 8 minutes.
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9. Stir in asparagus, peas (if using fresh). Continue adding broth by 1/2 cupfuls and stirring until rice is almost tender, about 6 minutes longer. Add peas (if using frozen). Add favas.
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10. Cook until rice is tender but still firm to the bite and mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve, passing additional cheese alongside.
