Nettle pesto beans with crème fraîche, hazelnut pangrattato and mint

I think most people are aware with my obsession with pasta by now so it’s not surprising that when I was kindly sent some of Bold Bean Co’s beans to sample I create a dish that could quite easily be mistaken for your favourite pesto springtime pasta. I do share the idea with Bold Bean Co’s founder Amelia, that sauces destined for pasta also work remarkably well with beans, with all the added nutritional value.

Basil still isn’t quite at its best until Summer months so I like to take advantage of more seasonal offerings when making pesto such as wild garlic and in this case, wild nettles. If you are foraging yourself just make sure to check out some tips and tricks from foraging websites who know what they’re talking about. If you’re still a bit dubious you could always use fresh spinach instead.

I love the immediate crunch of the nutty pangrattato and the beans are tender while still holding their bite. The creme fraiche pairs with the creaminess of the beans while providing a clean finish against the pesto. 

| Serves 4 |

INGREDIENTS

For the pesto (makes roughly 200g)

90ml extra virgin olive oil

40g nettle leaves (use spinach as an alternative)

2 small or 1 large garlic clove, finely grated

35g hazelnuts, toasted

50g  parmesan

For the beans

1 onion, finely diced

440g Queen Butter Beans (including their liquid)

100g of nettle pesto above

1/2 lemon, juice only

40g crème fraîche 

A few sprigs of mint 

For the hazelnut pangrattato 

25g hazelnuts

30g stale bread

1/2 lemon, zest only

METHOD

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and carefully add the nettle leaves, blanch for one minute then drain, plunge into iced water than drain again. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can with your hands.

Roughly chop the leaves and add to a blender with the garlic, toasted hazelnuts and parmesan. Pulse into a thick paste and slowly pour in the olive oil whilst on a low speed. Season to taste.

Heat a tbsp olive oil over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the butter beans and its juices and let it bubble away for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile blitz the hazelnuts and bread in a food processor until fine. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in another frying pan over a medium heat. Add the nut breadcrumb mix and cook for around 5 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Stir through the pesto into the beans with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice or seasoning to taste. 

Spoon the beans into bowls with sporadic blobs of crème fraîche, followed by the nut pangrattato, mint, and a final drizzle of olive oil.