Carrot and fennel make a wonderfully unexpected pairing — sweet, aromatic, and earthy all at once. In this “beanotto,” creamy white beans take the place of rice, creating a silky, comforting base that soaks up the vegetables’ gentle warmth. The fennel brings it's aniseed aroma and the carrots bring their natural sweetness, and together they create a bowl that feels both rustic and refined.
What really lifts the dish is the carrot‑top pesto: bright, herbaceous, and just a little wild. It turns what could be a simple recipe into something vibrant and full of life, celebrating the whole vegetable from root to leaf. This is thrifty cooking at its most elegant — nourishing, colourful, and quietly impressive.
Heat up the oil in a large shallow frying pan/casserole pan.
Add the fennel seeds and stir for a minute or two.
Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes or so until starting to soften then add in the chilli flakes and stir through.
Add the fennel and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the diced carrots, stir through and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until starting to soften, the onions and fennel should be very well cooked at this stage, almost starting to colour and caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir through for a few minutes.
Add the wine and bring to a boil, simmer for a few mins and then pop the lid on, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir and add the beans and their stock, stir through and bring to a simmer again for a couple of minutes then add the stock and continue to simmer, you want a thick creamy risotto like consistency.
Add the pesto and stir through for a couple of minutes more, add salt and pepper and turn off the heat, pop the lid on and let it sit for a few minutes to settle and let all the flavours mingle and relax.
Serve with grated parmesan and crusty bread.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat up the oil in a large shallow frying pan/casserole pan.
Add the fennel seeds and stir for a minute or two.
Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes or so until starting to soften then add in the chilli flakes and stir through.
Add the fennel and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the diced carrots, stir through and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until starting to soften, the onions and fennel should be very well cooked at this stage, almost starting to colour and caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir through for a few minutes.
Add the wine and bring to a boil, simmer for a few mins and then pop the lid on, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir and add the beans and their stock, stir through and bring to a simmer again for a couple of minutes then add the stock and continue to simmer, you want a thick creamy risotto like consistency.
Add the pesto and stir through for a couple of minutes more, add salt and pepper and turn off the heat, pop the lid on and let it sit for a few minutes to settle and let all the flavours mingle and relax.
Serve with grated parmesan and crusty bread.