Creamy Tuscan Beans on Toast

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 100 g baby spinach
• 100 ml double cream
• 30 g Parmesan, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 20 g fresh basil, torn
• 4 thick slices sourdough or rustic bread, toasted
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and chilli flakes and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant and the garlic is just turning golden at the edges — don't let it darken.
2. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes, pressing the tomatoes gently with the back of a spoon until they burst and release their juices into a glossy red base.
3. Tip in the cannellini beans and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the double cream and 50ml water. Simmer for 4–5 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the beans.
4. Stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt for 1 minute. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, then season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper — this dish needs bold seasoning to sing.
5. While the beans finish, toast the sourdough until golden and crisp at the edges.
6. Spoon the creamy beans over the toast, scatter with torn basil, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a final grating of Parmesan.