Ingredients:

500g pasta – spaghetti
1 large brown onion – sliced
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch silverbeet (approximately 6cups) – roughly chopped leaves, finely diced stems
400g tin butter beans – drained and rinsed
400g cherry tomatoes of choice
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup grated pecorino
1 lemon (juice of only half, rest to serve)
S&P + olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
chilli flakes to serve (optional)

Method:

• Boil pot of water for pasta & pre heat your oven at 200C fan forced.
• While pot of water is boiling, place a deep sauté pan on medium low heat with a good glug of olive oil. Infuse 5-8 fresh bail leaves for a few minutes until fragrant. Take leaves out and set aside.
• On a lined baking tray, place your cherry tomatoes with some salt, drizzle of olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Give it a little toss or jiggle so the tomatoes are evenly coated. Bake for approximately 10-12minutes and set aside.
• Add salt to your pot of boiling water & cook your pasta as per packet time suggestion.
• While the pasta is boiling, add the silverbeet and cook until wilted. Fold through your butter beans, fennel seeds, all the basil leaves and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Season with S&P to your liking.
• Drain your pasta (reserving 1-1.5 ladles of water) & place into your bean & silverbeet mixture with the grated pecorino & 1-1.5 ladles of pasta water and stir on very low heat, thickening up the dish.
• Serve with baked balsamic cherry tomatoes, an extra squeeze of lemon juice and some extra grated pecorino.

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