Creamy Courgette Bean-Otto

THE BEAN-OTTO: summer edition. Lighter, fresher + much much quicker than a traditional risotto. This is one of our absolute favourites to have during the summer months while courgettes are at their best. The crème fraiche, lemon and herbs all work together to give it a real freshness, while the parmesan + beans give it that satisfying, hearty boost. We definitely recommend something crunchy to top it with, whether that's pine nuts, toasted seeds or bread crumbs to give it that bit of texture.

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Step 1

Squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the grated courgettes. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden, set aside.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced courgettes with a pinch of salt and cook for 7-8 minutes until starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Then, add the grated courgette and garlic and cook everything for a further 2-3 minutes. Grate in the zest of ½ the lemon.

Step 3

Pour in the beans with their bean stock, or tins with the veg stock, and stir to combine. Season well with cracked black pepper and salt to taste.

Step 4

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the creme fraîche and parmesan. This all comes together fairly quickly as you don’t want the creme fraîche to split. Stir in the chopped parsley and tear in most of the basil leaves, saving some for garnish. Check for seasoning and add the juice of ½ a lemon.

Step 5

Serve the beans into bowls, grate over some more lemon zest and some more parmesan. Scatter over the toasted pine nuts, the remaining basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.