Bold Bean Co

Directions

1. step 1

   Preheat the oven to 180C. Tumble the squash chunks into a roasting dish and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes until caramelised, flipping the squash chunks half-way through to prevent sticking.

2. step 2

   Tip the pine nuts onto a roasting tray and toast for 6-8 minutes or until golden, checking often to stop them from burning.

3. step 3

   In a large pan (make sure it’s big enough as we’ll use this for the base of the dish later on), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crispy, tossing often, for roughly 30-50 seconds. Set aside in a small bowl to use as garnish for later.

4. step 4

   In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10-12 minutes until softened, stirring often. Then, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the white wine and cook off until the wine has completely evaporated. Reduce the heat.

5. step 5

   Add the white beans to the pan with their bean stock and stir to combine. Fill the bean jar ¼ with water, give it a shake, and add that in too (this will act as a stock!). Continue bubbling for a couple more mins, but because the beans are cooked, you don’t want them to soften further and lose their bite.

6. step 6

   Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven. Set aside half of the squash chunks and add the rest to a blender with 50ml water or stock and blitz to a smooth puree. Add both the squash chunks and puree to the beans, gently fold to combine (you don’t want to squash chunks to break). Add about ¾ of the parmesan and season with salt to taste and cracked black pepper.

7. step 7

   Stir through a knob of butter to finish, if desired, for an extra glossy finish. The mixture should have reached a creamy consistency, similar to a risotto, but if it’s still a little watery, let it bubble away for a few minutes to thicken. Equally, if it’s looking to thick, add some veg stock to loosen, or to your desired consistency.

8. step 8

   Serve the bean otto into bowls. Top with the crispy sage, toasted pine nuts and extra parmesan. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, or some fresh rocket dressed in lemon + olive oil.