Carole Food.

I love adding frozen spinach into pesto because it adds extra veg and bulks out the sauce! However because the spinach is frozen, I would recommend using a fairly high powered blender (I use a nutribullet). This is delicious as is, but it would also be the perfect side to some pan fried salmon or roasted chicken. 

Why you’ll love this dish

• Nutritious - this is the perfect nutritious meal! It has lots of fibre from the beans, healthy fats from the pine nuts and vitamins from the spinach and basil. 
• Crowd pleaser - pesto is a big crowd pleaser so if you like beans, you’ll love this! 

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Frozen spinach: you need frozen spinach for this dish. I haven’t tested with fresh spinach before, but it should work - you’ll just need about 1.5x the quantity.

Basil: an essential part of pesto!! 

Toasted pine nuts: I usually buy my pine nuts pre toasted, but you can quickly toast them in a dry pan over a medium heat. Just keep an eye on them, pine nuts are very fatty and turn to burn quickly! 

Parmesan/vegetarian Italian hard cheese: use whatever Italian hard cheese you like! 

Extra virgin olive oil: I find a less strong extra virgin olive oil is best in pesto, but use your favourite. 

Garlic: use as much as you want! 

Butter beans: can be substituted for any white bean. 

Lemon: a little bit of lemon juice really brings the dish together. 

What to serve this with? 

This is perfect as is, or with some buttered toast! It’s also a great side to pan fried salmon or roasted chicken. 

Instructions 

Blend the pesto 

In a high powered blender (I use a nutribullet!), add the frozen spinach, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and water. Blend until smooth. 

Fry the garlic 

In a medium frying pan over a low-medium heat, add 1-2 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir regularly.  

Add the butter beans 

Add the butter beans and cook until heated through, this should take a couple of minutes. 

Mix everything together 

Add the pesto and stir to coat. You may want to add a splash of water if the sauce is thick. Squeeze in the lemon juice to taste and enjoy! 

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave, in the oven, or on the hob. 

Can this be frozen?

Yes! Just defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as above. 

If you’re looking for another bean dish, be sure to try out these recipes:

• Pepper Feta Beans
• Rosé Beans
• Sun Dried Tomato Beans