Herb Crusted Fennel With Creamy Beans & Watercress Pesto

Heat oven to 200°C. Blitz pitta into breadcrumbs, then heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until crisp. Finely chop the parsley and zest the lemon. Mix half of the parsley and zest of a lemon through the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.

Start making the pesto. Finely chop the watercress and smoked almonds before grating one clove of garlic. Combine with the zest and juice of 1 lemon and mix together with 6 tbsp olive oil until it’s all combined but still a bit chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can use a pestle and mortar.

Take your fennel and cut each bulb in half. Place them on a foil-lined baking tray. Roast for 20 mins, then scatter the breadcrumbs over the cut side of the fennel and pack it down evenly to create a crust. Roast for another 15-20 mins, until the fennel is tender.

For the beans, roughly chop 3 garlic cloves. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and add the garlic, cook for around 2 min. Chuck in your beans along with the liquid from the cans- then simmer for around 5-10 mins, until thickened. Stir through the yoghurt with the remaining parsley, half of the pesto and the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve the creamy beans drizzled with the remaining pesto and topped with the crusted fennel.