Basil Pesto Butter Beans with Crispy Prosciutto

Luscious butter beans wallow in a creamy sauce that is piquant with garlic, pine nuts, basil and Parmesan, topped with a crispy prosciutto.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: butter beans recipe

Servings: people

4 slices prosciutto (Parma ham)
1 tbsp oil
1 shallot chopped
2 cloves garlic
400g / 14 oz This is an affiliate link.butter beans drained, or cannellini beans
250ml / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.vegetable stock or chicken stock
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp basil pesto prepared or homemade
4 tbsp This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese grated
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Lay the prosciutto slices on parchment lined baking dish and cook for 6-8 minutes till crispy. Don’t lay them too flat, just throw them on the pan and leave them as they land. This way the prosciutto slices will crisp up in crumbly clumps. They will get crispier as they cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, then add the chopped shallot and saute over low heat for 2 minutes, then add the minced garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
Bring in the drained butter beans with a pinch of salt and the vegetable or chicken stock, bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. (If you beans are still a little hard after 10 minutes, continue simmering them covered until they are very soft/buttery. Then stir in the basil pesto, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.
Serve topped with the prosciutto crumb and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.