Pesto Beans
Published July 18, 2024
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts or sliced almonds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and pepper
3 large shallots, sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other creamy white beans, drained
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup finely grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces), plus more for serving
1 ½ cups tightly packed basil leaves, preferably Genovese
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
72 grams carbs; 21 milligrams cholesterol; 769 calories; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 1182 milligrams sodium; 32 grams protein; 10 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low in a 12-inch skillet or small Dutch oven. Add the pine nuts and, when the oil starts sizzling, stir occasionally until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn off heat. Stir in the turmeric and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
- Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high in the same skillet. When warm, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and when sizzling (about 1 minute), stir in the beans and stock. Bring to a simmer then turn heat down to low.
- Step 3
In a few additions, sprinkle in the cheese, stirring vigorously to combine. When the cheese has melted into the broth and the mixture looks creamy, season to taste with salt and then turn off the heat. While the beans are still hot, tear the basil leaves (or roughly chop, if you prefer) and stir into the beans.
- Step 4
Serve hot, in bowls or on plates, drizzled with the sizzled nut oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and more black pepper and grated Parmesan, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
This is absolutely delicious! I made a vegan version by leaving out the parm and I didn’t even miss it. I roasted a pint of grape tomatoes in the oven and then stirred them in at the end. It added a little more acidity and color. I highly recommend this recipe!
I didn't love this recipe as much as I thought I would. My biggest complaint and tip for anyone would be to use less oil. 6 tablespoons of oil was a lot for the pine nuts and tumeric sauce, I'd rather use half and dilute it with stock.
Even better if you make 1/2 cup or so of pesto and stir it in with everything else.
this recipe is a fat and calorie bomb. the four serving recipe includes 1/2 cup of olive oil, nuts, and a full cup of cheese, which yields nearly 800 calories and 42 mgs of fat per serving! beans are supposed to be healthy, and you can make a delicious and healthful dish using these ingredients but in smaller proportions.
I was excited about this. It looked easy . I would skip number 1 (the 6 TBl of oil) and just throw in the pinoli nuts. Also, I would finely chop the shallots. As much as I love pesto, I would decrease and save the parm for a light sprinkle on individual dishes. I threw the parm in the pot with the hot beans. Big mistake. Quite the mess cleaning a pan that normally is an easy clean. I ended up putting all of it in the Cuisinart and serving it with roasted broccoli and brown rice. Delicious
This was just Ok. Flavor wasn’t as big as I hoped. If I make it again I’d cook the shallots and garlic a little more (not sliced!), maybe add some red pepper flakes, and figure out a better method to incorporate the cheese. I added it slowly as instructed but it turned into a goopy mess. Just OK IMHO.