Very, Very, Very Creamy Italian White Beans and Veggies

Seriously, guys, this was super-duper creamy. I ate it on its own, but it would be super-duper tasty over pasta or with some garlic bread on the side to sop up the awesome sauce.

Inspired by Kim’s amazing olive tapenade pasta pictures and the jar of tapenade that just so happened to be in my fridge, I decided to make a hearty casserole-type dish for dinner. It came out so. deliciously!

1/4c olive oil
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
1/4c olive tapenade
1 can white beans, drained
1T Italian seasoning

1 batch of Cashew Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the zucchini and garlic in the oil for 2-3 minutes, then cover the pot and let them sweat for a few minutes more. Uncover and add the chard, tapenade, beans, and Italian seasoning and cook for just a few more minutes, until the chard is nice and wilted.

Meanwhile, make yourself a batch of Cashew Cheese. I’d leave the salt out entirely, since tapenade is typically quite salty, but do whatever pleases your palate!

Turn off the stove and use the back of a wooden spoon to gently flatten the bean and veggie mixture, then top with the cheese.

[note: Just use enough cheese mixture to cover the veggies - you'll probably have some left over. The leftover cheese will keep in the fridge for a few days and is great spread on sandwiches or spooned over veggies or rice!]

Pop your dish into the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the top starts to brown just a bit. Serve on its own, over pasta, or with a side of garlic bread!

Related Posts:

• Black Bean Cakes: Love Loaves
• Smoky Bean and Rice Casserole
• Baked Tofu Chops with Boozy Broccoli