Butter Bean Puttanesca

My first Substack recipe, which includes two of my favourite things!

A good Puttanesca is hard to beat—it’s one of my favourite pasta sauces of all time. In this version, I swap out the carb-heavy pasta for butter beans, which are packed with fibre and plant-based protein and are the bean i use the most in my recipes.

Now, when it comes to the beans, jarred butter beans are ideal if you can get them. They’re softer, creamier, and have that lovely, buttery texture that makes the dish extra special. But tinned beans work just fine too—they might be a little firmer, but they’ll still be delicious. If you can’t get hold of jarred beans, don’t worry about it. I often go for a 50/50 version, using half pasta and half beans. It gives you the best of both worlds: the heartiness of beans with the comfort of pasta, plus a bit more fibre and protein. But if beans aren’t your thing, just go for pasta—any shape you fancy—and the sauce will still be brilliant.

Speaking of butter beans, they’re not just a great base for this dish—they soak up all the delicious flavours of the sauce, giving you that rich, savoury vibe without the heaviness of pasta. They add a lovely creaminess, too, especially if you let them simmer in the sauce for a bit.

As for the sauce, make sure you’re generous with the olives and capers. It’s all about balance here—those salty, briny flavours really bring the Puttanesca to life. If you like a bit of heat, a pinch more of chilli flakes adds a nice kick without overpowering everything. And don’t forget the anchovies—they melt into the sauce and give it that depth of umami. If you’re not into anchovies, a splash of soy sauce or miso paste can help with that savoury, salty undertone.

The pangrattato (crispy, garlicky breadcrumbs) isn’t essential, but I love the crunchy contrast it gives to the soft beans and sauce. If you’re feeling lazy, just finish the dish with a handful of fresh parsley and a good grating of lemon zest. It brightens everything up perfectly.

Puttanesca Butter Beans

1 diced onion

1 tbs evoo/ghee/tallow/butter/coconut oil

Small bunch parsley stalks finely chopped leaves reserved

½ tsp chilli flakes

3 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated

1 small tin anchovies in olive oil(optional)

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tin plum tomatoes

100g halved cherry tomatos (optional)

1 tbs tomato paste

1 heaped tbs capers roughly chopped

60g approx. black olives stoned

3 tins or jarred tuna in water or extra virgin olive oil a total l of roughly 300-360g

1 large jar of butter beans

Pangrattato

2-3 slices of stale sourdough blitzed to a crumb

1 garlic clove grated

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs butter

1 tbs finely chopped parsley

Zest 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

To Serve

Parmesan or pecorino

Squeeze of lemon juice

1. In a large pan, add the oil and diced onions, cook on a medium heat until the onions are soft, translucent and lightly golden.

2. Add in the parsley stalks, anchovy fillets including the oil, chilli flakes, capers and olives, cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic, cook for a further minute or two before add the tomato paste, cinnamon and cherry tomatoes if using.

3. Cook out for a minute or two and add the tin of plum tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with clean hands into the pan. Add a little water to the tin, to swish around the remaining tomato juice and add to the pan. Stir to combine.

4. Drain the butter beans a little, to remove most of the liquid, add the beans to pan along with 2 or 2/3 of the tinned/jarred tuna. Season well with salt and black pepper. Cook down on a gentle simmer for approx 15mins.

5. While the beans are cooking add the butter and oil to a pan and melt until bubbling but not not burning, add in the garlic and cook for a minute or so before adding the bread crumbs. Cook on a moderate heat until lightly toasted.

6. Season the breads crumbs and add in the chopped parsley and grated zest, stir to combine and remove from the heat. Add in approx 30g finley grated parmesan and stir again to combine. Set aside.

7. When the beans have cooked down a little divide between 4 bowls, top with the remaining tuna flakes, a good sprinkling of panagratto, a good grating of Parmesan, and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. A little squeeze of lemon and extra freshly chopped parsley is also delicious.

For a Vegan Puttanesca sauce head over to my website.