Cacio e Pepe Beans with Grilled Asparagus + Basil Pesto

Klara: I’ve taken inspiration from one of my favourite pasta dishes, Cacio e pepe. Not in the traditional sense but because of the main ingredients – black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. By braising the beans in their own liquid, the sauce gets super creamy, just as it does when using starchy pasta water.

You can vary the veggie toppings endlessly for this dish, or just eat the beans and sauce as is. Use whatever is in season, like grilled courgette or hispi cabbage or braised leeks.

Feeds: 2

Ingredients

1 jar of Queen Butter Beans, with their bean stock
1 shallot, halved
1 bulb of garlic, halved
4 bay leaves
1 dried red chilli
1 tbsp black pepper corns
1 tbsp whole fennel seeds
4 sprigs of thyme
2-3 parmesan rinds
300ml vegetable or chicken stock
40g finely grated parmesan
I lemon, grilled
1 bunch of english asparagus

For the Basil Pesto

30g fresh basil leaves
1/2 lemon a handful of almonds or any nuts you like
1 small garlic clove
40ml olive oil

Made with:
Butter Beans

These are the most ridiculously creamy, big, juicy butter beans you will find on this planet. We see them as the "creme de la creme" of the bean world. Try them tossed through a puttanesca sauce or with a fresh basil pesto - they're packed full of natural protein so great for flexitarians.

Directions

For the Beans

step 2
Prep a muslin bag or a piece of cheese cloth by simply adding the shallot, garlic bulb, bay leaves, thyme, pepper corns, fennel seeds and chilli and then tie it up.
step 3
Add beans and the bean liquid to a medium sized saucepan, pour over the stock, add parmesan rinds and the little bag of spices. Let it all simmer on a low heat until reduced and quite thick and creamy, this will take about 20-30 minutes. Take care not to boil the beans as they will go mushy.
step 4
Grill the lemon.
step 5
Snap of the bottom of the asparagus and slice them lengthways, when only a few minutes of the beans remaining simply boil the asparagus in well salted water or stock for 2 minutes. Just before serving add the parmesan and lemon zest and season if needed.

For the Basil Pesto

step 7
Bash up the almonds in a pestle and mortar, I like to keep the pesto quite coarse. Add the basil and garlic and continue to bash until a thick paste, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir in the olive oil. Keep to one side.