Botanica’s bean tartine with sage-pistachio pesto

Photo by Botanica

This stunning recipe comes from Botanica, one of Los Angeles’s leading vegetable-forward restaurants, founded in 2017 by two ex-food media entrepreneurs, Heather Sperling and Emily Fiffer. Primary Beans and Botanica partnered up for a 10-day food festival organized by the non-profit RE:Her, to uplift female restaurateurs during the pandemic.

Botanica calls their special menu item “lady-powered tartine” featuring ingredients from other female-owned businesses (like us!). The sage-pistachio pesto is so tasty, you’ll be glad to have leftovers. From Botanica: “It’s not overly aromatic or aggressive, thanks to the savory, anchoring effect of garlicky oil and sweet, buttery pistachios. You’ll want to pair it with many things (eggs, fish, roasted vegetables), but it’s especially wonderful with beans.”

Featured bean: Cranberry

Other beans to try: Cannellini, Flageolet

Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!

Print recipe here

• Serves: 2 (plus leftover pesto and beans)
• Time: 25 minutes (plus bean cooking)
• Cookware: small saucepan, blender or food processor, bean cooking vessel of your choice

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried beans
• Bean aromatics: 4 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil plus more for blending
• 16 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups raw pistachios, chopped
• 2 preserved lemons, chopped
• 1 tightly packed cup parsley leaves
• 5 tsp Aleppo-style pepper flakes
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups fresh sage leaves from 3 bunches
• Lemon juice
• Flaky salt
• 2 thick slices of crusty bread
• Good finishing olive oil
• Grated Manchego cheese

Steps

Prepare the beans: Cook beans with the aromatics according to our guide in the cooking vessel of your choice. Once cooked, remove bay leaves and strain beans.

Make the pesto: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil and garlic and cook just until oil is fragrant and garlic is golden. Remove from heat and once cooled slightly (but still warm) stir in sage. Sage should turn a dark green color as it absorbs the oil. In a blender or food processor, combine pistachios, preserved lemons, parsley, Aleppo-style pepper flakes, salt, and sage-garlic-oil mixture. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides and drizzling in olive oil as needed to help everything blend. Once smooth, refrigerate immediately to retain vibrant green color.

Assemble the tartines: Brush bread with olive oil and toast on both sides until golden. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss 2 heaping cups of beans with enough pesto so that beans are well coated. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Cut bread in half if slices are large and spoon the beans over top. Serve with a sprinkle of Manchego cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

From the kitchen of Los Angeles’s Botanica. For the full story, head here.