Rukmini Iyer's quick and easy recipe for cheesy polenta with tomatoes, butter beans and pesto is perfect for transitional spring evenings. This comforting dish cooks in under two minutes when using quick-cook polenta, and the best part is that you can prepare extra for a meal the next day. Simply pour half the cooked polenta into a tray, add olives or extra cheddar, chill overnight, then cut into shapes and fry until crisp.
Cheesy polenta with tomatoes, butter beans and pesto
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 x 570g jar butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 100g quick-cook polenta (dry, coarse kind, not vacuum-packed blocks)
- 40g parmesan (vegetarian if needed), grated
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Fresh basil pesto, shop-bought or homemade, to serve
- 1 handful toasted pine nuts, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and fry for one minute. Add the tomatoes, increase the heat to medium, and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the butter beans, cover the pan, and cook for another five minutes. Give a final stir, then turn off the heat and keep covered.
- Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually pour in the polenta while whisking continuously. Whisk vigorously for one and a half minutes until the polenta thickens. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan, salt, and lemon juice. The texture should be flowing like lava, not stiff. If needed, add a splash more stock to loosen.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately in wide bowls, topping with the tomato and butter bean mixture, and dot with pesto and toasted pine nuts.
