This recipe is part of the Weeknight Dinners menu for next week. The three other dishes on the menu include chicken and potatoes with roasted bell pepper and chimichurri sauce, lentil and roasted bell pepper pasta salad, and a spring harvest bowl with lentils and a fried egg. Marinated lentils, roasted potatoes, and roasted bell peppers are all used twice and spring vegetables are repurposed to enhance dishes and reduce food waste. There’s still time to join the cooking club if you’d like access to next week’s menu (and all previous menus). You’ll also get a batch cook guide so you can prep ahead and a shopping list so you can get in and out of the store in no time. What are you waiting for? Join the cooking club now!

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup butter beans, rinsed

• 1 cup italian marinara pasta sauce

• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, diced

• 2 Tbsp goat cheese

• 1/2 cup parsley leaves

• 2 Tbsp green onion

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 whole wheat pita

• kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

To make the baked giant beans: Heat oven to 350° F. Sauté onion in 1 tsp of olive oil on low heat until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the pasta sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Gently fold in beans; transfer to an oven-safe dish, top with goat cheese, and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is boiling and the cheese is melted.

In the meantime, make the parsley pesto: In a food processor, pulse parsley, green onion, lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Top the beans with the pesto sauce and serve with toasted pita.

Notes

Use GF bread to make GF. Use DF cheese to make DF.

Feta (French or Greek) can be used in place of goat. Feel free to use crusty bread in place of pita.

I recommend Rao’s pasta sauce.

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This post was written by Kelly Powers, MA, RDN. Kelly is a Registered Dietitian and Culinary Nutritionist who takes a holistic approach to nutrition and health. She is a recipe developer with a food blog highlighting whole foods, simple recipes, and her life in San Francisco. Kelly is the creator of Weeknight Dinners, a weekly meal plan program that helps users get back in the kitchen and feed themselves well. Kelly specializes in meal planning, the Mediterranean diet, and sustainable behavior change, helping her clients reach their health goals while improving their relationship with food.