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–+ servings
Butter Bean Bake with spoon in

Tuscan Butter Bean Bake

A veggie packed butter bean bake bursting with Tuscan flavors! This is a simple and flexible recipe for a vegetarian dinner, packed with nutritious ingredients. The addition of red pesto and spices makes this bake even tastier than you expected!
6 -8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
4.60 from 15 ratings
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups (3 cups) cooked butter beans, or 2 cans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 red onion, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp mixed Italian seasoning
  • 500 g (1 lb) Mushrooms, quartered
  • 200 g (7 oz) Kale, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp white wine or fresh lemon juice
  • 400 g (14 oz) Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 6 Tbsp red pesto
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) grated parmesan
  • 200 g (2 cups) grated mozzarella

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 200c / 400f
  • Prepare your casserole dish. Lightly oil the bottom and sides and add the butter beans.
  • Heat a glug of oil in a saute pan and cook the onions and peppers until they are soft. Add the fennel seeds and cook for a few moments until the fragrance pops, then quickly mix the smoked paprika and mixed Italian herbs through.
  • Transfer the onion and pepper mix into the casserole dish with the beans and mix through.
  • Return the saute pan to the heat, add a little extra oil and cook the mushrooms until they have reduced and browned, and the liquid has evaporated from them.
  • Transfer the mushrooms to the pan and mix through.
  • Return the saute pan to the heat and stir fry the kale very briefly until it turns bright green. Add a splash of white wine or lemon juice, cook until that has evaporated a little.
  • Transfer the kale to the casserole dish and mix through.
  • Now mix the cherry tomatoes, pesto and parmesan cheese through the casserole dish. Make sure everything is nicely coated and mixed up.
  • Add the mozzarella to the top of the dish and place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and brown.

Notes

The casserole can handle more than the amount of veggies written, so feel free to add or swap around.
If you're adding in veggies with high water content (like zucchini, some squashes) be sure to precook them.
(More customization ideas and tips can be found in the blog post.)
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Vegetarian Casseroles & Bakes
Serving: 1g, Calories: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 497mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 6g