Saucy White Beans with Spinach Pesto
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Cooked Farro (With Bay Leaf) 2 ½ cup
- Spinach Pesto 12 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp
- garlic cloves 6
- large red bell pepper 1
- Kosher
- tomato paste 2 tbsp
- red pepper flakes 0.25-0.5 tsp
- vegetable broth ¼ cup
- cannellini beans 2
- flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 cup
- small lemon 1
- Flaky
- good-quality extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
Storage: Store the saucy beans in the fridge for up to 4 days, separate from the farro and pesto. Reheat the saucy beans in a frying pan over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through, adding a splash of broth/water as needed. Reheat the farro in the microwave (or serve at room temp). Assemble as listed in the last step, topping with freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Storage: Got more leftovers? The Spinach Pesto is freezer-friendly! Store in single-serve portions and defrost in the fridge. For quicker defrosting, I recommend these Souper Cubes. Nutrition boost: Stir in a handful of chopped baby kale/spinach toward the end of simmering the beans in step 2(b); cook until wilted. Shortcut: Use store-bought pesto if you bought it. Shortcut: Serve with plain farro, and skip prepping/adding the parsley and lemon zest in steps 3 and 4. Shortcut: Instead of serving with farro, scoop everything up with crusty bread instead.
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1Gather: Cooked Farro (With Bay Leaf) , Spinach Pesto , extra virgin olive oil . For the garlic & peppers (from vegetable prep): garlic cloves , large red bell pepper , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, tomato paste , red pepper flakes , vegetable broth , cannellini beans , flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems , small lemon , Flaky sea salt, good-quality extra virgin olive oil .
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2Let the Cooked Farro and Spinach Pesto sit out at room temperature.
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3Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high with the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the Garlic & Peppers with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes , or until the peppers have softened. Add in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste darkens a bit. If needed, add a splash of water to scrape up any browned bits. Add the broth and the beans, including the liquid in the cans, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, and gently simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until thickened and saucy, stirring occasionally. If it gets too thick, add a few tablespoons of broth.
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4While the beans cook, prepare your side salad (if you’re making one) and prep everything else. Chop the parsley. Zest the lemon. Mix the parsley and lemon zest in a bowl. Season with a pinch or two of flaky sea salt. Juice the lemon. Add the Cooked Farro to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until warm but not hot. Add half of the parsley-lemon zest mixture and 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice. Mix well. Taste, adding salt/pepper or more lemon juice to season.
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5Remove the beans from the heat. Stir in 1 tbsp of good-quality olive oil, the remaining parsley-lemon zest mixture, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste, adding more salt/pepper, olive oil, or lemon juice to taste.
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6Assemble: Divide the seasoned farro among bowls, then top each with the saucy beans. Dollop some Spinach Pesto onto each bowl. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.