Pesto Beans
Published July 19, 2024
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 8tablespoons olive oil
- ¼cup pine nuts or sliced almonds
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper
- 3large shallots, sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
- 5garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 2(15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other creamy white beans, drained
- 1cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 1cup finely grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces), plus more for serving
- 1½cups tightly packed basil leaves, preferably Genovese
- 1lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
761 calories; 42 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 1180 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low in a 12-inch skillet or small Dutch oven. Add the pine nuts and, when the oil starts sizzling, stir occasionally until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn off heat. Stir in the turmeric and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
- Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high in the same skillet. When warm, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and when sizzling (about 1 minute), stir in the beans and stock. Bring to a simmer then turn heat down to low.
- Step 3
In a few additions, sprinkle in the cheese, stirring vigorously to combine. When the cheese has melted into the broth and the mixture looks creamy, season to taste with salt and then turn off the heat. While the beans are still hot, tear the basil leaves (or roughly chop, if you prefer) and stir into the beans.
- Step 4
Serve hot, in bowls or on plates, drizzled with the sizzled nut oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and more black pepper and grated Parmesan, if desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
It was fine
I didn't love this recipe as much as I thought I would. My biggest complaint and tip for anyone would be to use less oil. 6 tablespoons of oil was a lot for the pine nuts and tumeric sauce, I'd rather use half and dilute it with stock.
Jim Ball
Even better if you make 1/2 cup or so of pesto and stir it in with everything else.
Audrey MN
This is absolutely delicious! I made a vegan version by leaving out the parm and I didn’t even miss it. I roasted a pint of grape tomatoes in the oven and then stirred them in at the end. It added a little more acidity and color. I highly recommend this recipe!
Bob Hoover
I couldn't make it to Genoa so had to use basil from my garden.
Lolly
for commenters confused about the directions in step 3, "in a few additions" refers to adding and incorporating the cheese in small amounts so it doesn't clump. If the cheese is added to quickly it will not melt into the dish.
Zach Walker
- I subbed parmesan for a blend of walnuts, nutritional yeast, and miso. Worked beautifully. - Significantly less olive oil is required if just to toast pine nuts and sauté shallots - Can't go wrong with more basil, just be sure to julienne it into thin strips to avoid big chunks of leaf - Throwing in a bit of leftover pesto worked well (you could also blend the roasted pine nuts, oil, basil, and parm that's already called for) - Don't let the beans simmer too long, they get soft!
Donna.
This was surprisingly delicious and memorable. Something magical about the lemon, olive oil and texture of the beans. Will make during the winter for a comfort food dinner. Thanks for a great recipe
Karen
This makes a delicious meal. I didn’t want to make a salad to go with it, so I riced and roasted 1/2 head of cauliflower and added it to the beans along with the basil. I’ll make it again.
Jen K
Made it exactly as written, served with garlic bread, and it was divine! I could eat this every week.
Jocelyn
I liked this, but felt like the turmeric flavor overpowered the traditional pesto flavors. I'll make it with half the turmeric next time
Penny Hayes
Used curry as a substitute for turmeric. Easy to make and delicious
Carla in California
This was good and easy. I used walnuts.
V
I made it with a bean and chickpea blend and topped with garlic chives as well. I didn't have fresh bread but had homemade croutons and they made it easier to get a good spoonful with a bit of crunch
Aren Stone
We use cashews in pesto, for their creaminess. Maybe they'd work well here. Or the suggested almonds.
gt
This is delicious and easy. Great quick meal!
hz
I started with dried great northern beans (cooked in IP), and sadly not all were uniformly softened. Nonetheless the recipe was delicious, made even tastier with homemade pesto (or verde sauce) added-in tableside.
Ruth
I usually add grated Parmesan cheese from the can. This time I decided to use the stuff out of a bag that claims to be “shredded off the block” but it got all gummy. Won’t do that again! I should have trusted my gut but I usually have to do that every three years or so to figure it out! Just use the stuff out of the can and it will be fine. I used some pesto we bought in Italy because I didn’t have fresh basil but I bet it would be really good with the real thing! These were a hit side dish!
Elizabeth
I used less ok and went with sliced almonds. I added wine in place of half the stock. He loved it. I agree with the commentary to just stir in Pesto. I'll try that next time
Pesto Beans
Loved this... Sautéed shallot longer with 8 cloves garlic, a little butter and more almonds. Also I will double the recipe next time!
Steph says
Made exactly as written. Way more delicious than the sum of its parts.
Walter
As others have stated cut way down on the oil that is listed in the recipe. It’s way too much. I made a third of what is in the recipe and it was delicious.
William
Good & rich! More of a winter meal. Def be careful not to over-simmer the beans, they can get too soft for sure. And as others have said, 6 Tbs oil is totally excessive. Half that would be plenty. Also wished I doubled the recipe generally, fed two people with maybe one serving left over after.
Amy
This was surprisingly delicious. Super flavorful and the flavors came together so well.
AC
I disliked the crunchy shallots, and if I make again, would thoroughly cook them.
Alissa
Made it with the sliced almonds following recipe exactly, except I used dried white beans that I had cooked the night before. Outstanding! I agree with other notes and would reduce the amount of olive oil for the almonds, otherwise it was awesome. Had it with focaccia tonight, will put it over pasta tomorrow.
Jen
I took the advice of another reader and made the pesto separately (garlic, basil, olive oil and parmesan using Samin Nosrat's Basic Pesto recipe), added the turmeric to the shallots as they sautéed, then added beans and stock. Finally, added pecorino and Romano and the pesto, stirring to creamy consistency. Absurdly delicious and still phenomenal the next day.
Jill
I really enjoy this dish and make it a lot. One time I let the shallots cook a little longer and there was some stuck stuff on the bottom of my pan and I thought…hmmm I’m gonna deglaze that with a little bit of white wine and it was fabulous. This is great anyway you make it pinenuts or almonds. I’ve done them both.
Drew
I skipped the first step of toasting the nuts in oil and simple tossed on some slivered almonds at the end. I added chopped summer squash with the garlic and shallots, which worked great.
jrc
Easy and delicious. Now that I've made it once can't wait to play around with the recipe. This will be visiting our table frequently this fall...
Carolyn
Delicious easy weeknight meal with varied and distinct flavors and textures. Cooked as written except for minimizing olive oil. This is going into the rotation.
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