Creamy Parmesan Courgette and Butter Bean Dish with Pistachio Pesto Recipe
A creamy and flavorful vegetarian dish featuring tender courgettes and butter beans in a parmesan-infused sauce, topped with a fresh and nutty pistachio pesto. Perfect as a light main course or a hearty side, served optionally with sourdough bread.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 10 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium-sized courgettes, very thinly sliced (ideally with a mandoline)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled (2 finely chopped, 1 left whole)
- 2 x 400g cans of butter beans
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 100g parmesan, grated
Pesto Ingredients
- 30g basil, roughly chopped
- 20g pistachios, roughly chopped
- Remaining olive oil from main 10 tbsp (use part for pesto as needed)
To Serve
- Sliced sourdough, optional and gluten-free if necessary
Instructions
- Prepare and Cook Courgettes: Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan or shallow casserole dish over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced courgettes and cook for 8-10 minutes until they have wilted and softened, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Add Garlic and Butter Beans: Stir in the finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Then add the butter beans with their liquid and half of the lemon juice. Continue to cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Make the Pistachio Pesto: While the courgettes and beans are cooking, combine 50g of parmesan, the remaining whole garlic clove, roughly chopped basil, roughly chopped pistachios, the remaining lemon juice, and a generous drizzle of olive oil in a food processor. Season well with salt and pepper, then blitz until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.
- Finish the Dish: Stir the remaining parmesan into the cooked courgettes and butter beans mixture. Adjust seasoning to taste, then drizzle the prepared pistachio pesto over the top. Serve warm with optional sliced sourdough bread on the side.
- Storage and Reheating: To freeze, allow the beans and courgettes to cool completely. Transfer the bean mixture to a labeled freezer bag and place the pesto in a separate container. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight and warm the beans gently in a saucepan until piping hot before serving with pesto.
Notes
- Use a mandoline to achieve very thin and even courgette slices for consistent cooking.
- Sourdough bread is optional and can be substituted with gluten-free bread if required.
- Pesto can be adjusted in texture with additional olive oil for a looser consistency.
- Freezing the pesto and butter beans separately ensures freshness and better texture upon reheating.
- This recipe is vegetarian but contains dairy; it can be made vegan by substituting parmesan with a vegan cheese alternative.
Keywords: courgette recipe, butter beans, pistachio pesto, vegetarian dinner, Mediterranean vegetarian, easy healthy meals, parmesan courgettes
