Jamie's on-a-budget recipes

Jamie's lemony pesto beans

Jamie says: "Beans on toast just got a summer makeover with my elevated take on a lunchtime staple. Using creamy butter beans, fresh spinach, shop-bought pesto and a squeeze of fresh lemon is a quick and clever way to turn something humble into a memorable meal."

1. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Trim and roughly chop the spring onions, peel and finely chop the garlic, then add both to the pan with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Finely grate in the zest of 1 lemon, squeeze in the juice of ½, then add the spinach and cook until wilted – you might need to work in batches. Tip onto a board and finely chop.
2. Return the pan to the hob, tip in the butter beans (juices and all), and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes, or until reduced by half, using a fork to mash some of the beans to create a thick, creamy sauce. Stir in the pesto, along with the chopped spinach mixture, and grate in most of the Parmesan. Squeeze in the juice of the other lemon half, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, then taste and season to perfection.
3. Toast the bread, then divide between plates and top with the beans. Finely grate over the remaining Parmesan, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges, for squeezing over.

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