Name: Braised courgettes & butter beans with pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 4 as a side or starter
Ingredients: 500g courgettes (3-4 medium); 2 tbsp olive oil; 25g butter; few sprigs of thyme; few sprigs of oregano plus a few leaves to serve; 2 bay leaves; 250ml white wine; 400g can butter beans; 6 garlic cloves bashed; 1 lemon halved; 150ml vegetable or chicken stock; 4-6 tbsp pesto or vegetarian alternative, loosened with a little oil, if needed, for drizzling

Braised courgettes & butter beans with pesto

Slow-cook courgettes to soften them and combine with butter beans and a punchy pesto. Scatter over some feta or goat’s cheese, if you like, and serve with crusty bread

1 hr 40 min total 20 min prep 1 hr 20 min cook 4 as a side or starter 297 cal

Instructions

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1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slice the courgettes into ½cm rounds using a mandoline or sharp knife. Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan or flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the courgettes for 8-10 mins until starting to brown.
2 Scatter in the herbs and bay and pour in the wine. Cook for a few minutes more until the alcohol evaporates, then tip in the beans along with the liquid from the can and the garlic. Nestle in the lemon halves. Pour over the stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 1 hr. Discard the bay leaves and lemon halves, if you like, and drizzle over the pesto, then scatter over the oregano leaves.