Braised Cannellini Beans with Pancetta and Pesto

Today’s post are these Braised Cannellini Beans with Pancetta and Pesto, and while it makes for a great side dish to many dishes, it’s delicious all on it’s own. I don’t know about you, but there are some evenings when I really do not feel like cooking. Mustering up the strength the get in the kitchen and cook an elaborate meal just isn’t in the cards sometimes. It’s dishes like this one, the kind that take hardly any effort at all, and come together quickly, that are a life saver. You don’t need super complicated or fancy recipes all the time. Sometimes, a simple and humble dish like braised beans is all you need and this one here really gets the job done.

Set a saucepan over moderate heat. Drizzle in the olive oil and add the pancetta and garlic. Cook until crispy and browned.

**Note: You can easily sub bacon for the pancetta if you’d like. It’ll just have a slight smokey taste but that’s totally okay! Or if you want to keeps things vegetarian, you can leave it out completely.**

Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans. Add to the pan along with the entire contents of the second can of beans. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the stock, crushed red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Mash a few of the beans with the back of the spoon. Lower the flame and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened.

**Note: If you find that it’s too thick, add a splash more water or stock to thin it out slightly. It shouldn’t be too thick but also not soupy either.**

Meanwhile, to make the pesto, in a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse a few times until evenly chopped through. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running and run until the pesto has thickened.

**Note: Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. You can make the pesto a few days in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.**

Once the beans are done, remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, and stir in the 1/3 cup parmesan until melted through.

Divide the beans among serving dishes and serve with a dollop or two of the homemade basil on top. Don’t forget to serve with some crusty bread on the side for dipping and sopping up that delicious sauce.

This is a great side dish to many dishes. It would be perfect with some fish (like branzino) or something heartier like pork chops or porcetta. The great thing about this dish though is that you can also serve it all by itself for a simple and sensible main dish.

If you plan on making this ahead of time, you can leave both components separate and keep them in the fridge. Then just reheat the beans, allow the pesto to come to room temp and combine them right before serving. The longer the dish sits the better it’ll taste.

I’m a big fan of cannellini beans and together with the brightness from the homemade pesto, it works so well together. Plus the saltiness from the cheese and the pancetta all works perfectly. I hope you give this dish a try and if you do, be sure to let me know what you think below. Thank you for reading and following along.