Slow Cooked Courgettes with White Beans

Slow Cooked Courgettes with White Beans

Ingredients

2-3 Courgettes
2 Leeks or Onions
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon
2 Garlic Cloves
1 handful fresh Sage
100ml White Wine
1 jar White Beans (such as Butter Bean or Cannellini)
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
2 tbsp Tahini
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Method

1. Slice the courgettes and onions/leeks, chop the sage and finely mince the garlic.

2. Heat a saucepan to medium. Add 2 tbsp oil along with the courgettes and leeks/onions. Sauté gently for 5-10 mins, until softened and starting to brown.

3. Add the wine, garlic, sage and chilli along with the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Season with a generous pinch of salt and grind of black pepper. Stir, cover with a lid, then cook on a medium-low heat for 25 minutes (stirring occasionally to prevent it from caching on the bottom of the pan).
The courgettes will turn meltingly soft and slightly caramelised.

4. Turn heat to low. Add in a jar of butter beans (undrained, with the bean stock from the jar) and 2 tbsp tahini. Stir in well. Cook for 5 mins, until the beans are heated through and the sauce has thickened. Loosen with a little water if required.

5. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and grated lemon zest.

*Delicious accompanied with some crusty bread or stirred through fresh pasta.

*You can me much more generous with the oil if you want the courgette to be cooked "confit style".

*For a fresh summer edition, substitute the sage for parsley and mint (stirred through at the end).

*You can omit the wine and use veg stock instead if you wish.