Easy Creamy Pesto Beans Recipe
Beans are having kind of a moment; which is a funny thing to say about a food that has been a staple in cuisines all around the world for hundreds of thousands of years. Still, every few years we are reminded that beans are nutritional powerhouses, and eating them can significantly improve our overall health. The cause of the most recent surge of bean popularity may have to do with the rising interest in fiber, the newest fad taking the world of nutrition by storm. Fiber, which helps the digestive system run smoothly, is arguably even more important than long-beloved protein, and getting more of it in your everyday diet is important: Trendy or not.
What's new about the rising popularity of beans this time is the recipes, which don't just incorporate beans as an ingredient but showcase them as the main course. Large, soft, tender beans take the place of pasta like gnocchi, and act as a super-buttery base for meats and sauces. In this recipe, developer Michelle McGlinn turns glossy butter beans into a creamy, dreamy pesto dish by mixing fresh basil pesto with heavy cream and strips of crispy prosciutto. The result is a rustic, one-pot dinner for fiber enthusiasts who love the taste and texture of pesto and gnocchi but want to make beans the main ingredient. Ready in barely 30 minutes, this easy creamy pesto bean recipe is the perfect way to have a delicious fiber-packed meal any day of the week.
The ingredients needed to make easy, creamy pesto beans
To make the pesto in this recipe, you'll need a large amount of fresh basil. Consider buying a live plant, which can then be planted and regrown for future pesto recipes. You'll also need garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan, which can also be used on top of the finished dish. For the beans, you'll need prosciutto (or bacon), onion, vegetable broth, heavy cream, and two cans of butter beans, which can be found in the same aisle as all other canned beans or swapped for Great Northerns.
Step 1: Chop the pesto solid ingredients
Add the basil, garlic, and nuts to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
Step 2: Stream in the oil
Add the lemon juice and pepper and replace the lid. While pulsing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is mostly smooth.
Step 3: Pulse in the Parmesan
Add the Parmesan and pulse until just combined. Season to taste with salt.
Step 4: Heat oil in a skillet
To make the beans, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 5: Crisp the prosciutto
Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes.
Step 6: Cook the aromatics
Remove the prosciutto and set aside. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir.
Step 7: Simmer the beans with broth and cream
Once fragrant, add the beans, broth, and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 8: Swirl in the pesto
Stir in the pesto and remove from the heat.
Step 9: Serve the beans
To serve, top with the crispy prosciutto, any extra pesto, and freshly grated Parmesan.
What pairs well with pesto beans?
Easy Creamy Pesto Beans Recipe
In our pesto beans recipe, we turn glossy butter beans into a creamy, dreamy pesto dish by mixing fresh basil pesto with heavy cream and crispy prosciutto.
Ingredients
- For the basil pesto
- 2 heaping cups basil
- 2 large cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- For the beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 strips prosciutto, torn into ½-inch wide pieces
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans butter beans
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup basil pesto (above)
Directions
- Add the basil, garlic, and nuts to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the lemon juice and pepper and replace the lid. While pulsing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is mostly smooth.
- Add the Parmesan and pulse until just combined. Season to taste with salt.
- To make the beans, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the prosciutto and set aside. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir.
- Once fragrant, add the beans, broth, and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the pesto and remove from the heat.
- To serve, top with the crispy prosciutto, any extra pesto, and freshly grated Parmesan.
What are butter beans?
Butter beans are a type of lima bean that has matured past being green and instead takes on a white color and a slightly larger, more tender shape and texture. Used interchangeably, both limas and butter beans are large and tender when cooked, though butter beans have a reputation for being more rich and creamy — like butter. Butter beans are also often packaged in cans with a thin, neutral-flavored sauce that is thick, creamy, and a little salty. While the beans can be rinsed and used in recipes without the sauce, we recommend adding the sauce to the skillet to add body and flavor to the end result.
If you can't find cans labelled "butter beans" specifically, you can also use lima beans or swap for any tender white bean, such as Great Northern beans. You can also start with dried beans, which need to be soaked or boiled ahead of time to soften (using the can shortcuts this prep time). For this, seek out dried lima beans, and look for the flat, white type of bean, which will work best in this recipe.
Can I make vegan pesto beans?
Luckily for anyone wanting to turn this into a plant-based dish, the main ingredient is already vegan, so changing the recipe only requires removing the meat and dairy used for texture and flavor. First, omit the prosciutto from the recipe, and replace the Parmesan in the pesto with a little bit of tofu and some nutritional yeast. For the sauce, you can either omit the heavy whipping cream for a more pesto-forward sauce, or replace the heavy whipping cream with coconut cream, which has a mild flavor and thickens in a similar way to the dairy equivalent.
Making the beans vegan is easy enough with a few swaps, and the beans can also be made nut-free by omitting the nuts in the pesto, which aren't necessary for blending pesto together. You can also swap for nuts like pine nuts or almonds to change the flavor slightly, and can swap the basil for other leafy greens like parsley and kale (or a combination of the three) for a different flavor and added nutrients.