Spaghetti in an Artichoke & Butter Bean Sauce

Today is my sister’s birthday! I’ve always been close to my sister. She is 18 years older than me, and I idolised her growing up. Now, we are best friends and along with her adult daughter she is one of my favourite people to enjoy a meal with. If you’re reading this, big sis, have a wonderful birthday! And now, onto the recipe…

Sometimes the best meals happen when using up random leftovers. This gorgeous spaghetti dish was born when I had half a tin of butter beans, half a tin of artichokes and not a lot else in the fridge! It’s super quick and easy, all you need is a blender. This dish is perfect served with roasted broccoli, and you can roast the garlic for the sauce at the same time! Ideally, you want your broccoli to retain some crunch to add texture to the final dish.

Pasta is one of my favourite foods, especially spaghetti, and I love coming up with new sauces. I hope you like pasta too, as I have lots of pasta dishes planned for this blog! Beans are a great base for a vegan sauce, as when blended they have a smooth, creamy texture without the need to add dairy products or alternatives. The artichokes in this sauce add a delicious tang, which is nicely balanced with lemon juice and roasted garlic. I love garlic, especially roasted as the harsh raw flavour is replaced by a sort of sweet, sort of smoky taste. In fact, if you can get hold of some smoked garlic I bet it would be divine in this sauce!

Spaghetti in an Artichoke & Butter Bean Sauce | Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• About 300-400g tenderstem broccoli
• 3 cloves garlic
• Olive oil spray
• 300g spaghetti

For the sauce:

• 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g tin artichoke hearts, rinsed
• 1/3 cup (about 80ml) olive oil
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp salt

PREHEAT OVEN TO 200 DEGREES CELCIUS

Method:

1. Place the broccoli and garlic (keep the skin on the garlic for now) in a large roasting tin. Spray liberally with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Cook according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the water from cooking.
3. Add all the sauce ingredients to the blender, plus the roasted garlic and about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
4. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce. If it’s looking a bit too dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water. This is best served immediately; if left to sit, it will keep absorbing liquid and you will need to stir in some pasta water before serving. Serve with the roasted broccoli.