Pancetta baked beans with basil pesto – vibrant and green. Topped with poached eggs and slices of hot buttered sourdough. Takes only 30 minutes. Jump to Recipe
I’d never really thought particularly hard about originality, about creativity, besides viewing it as some elusive quality possessed by the true innovators in our society. It was loosely mentioned through school and university, but more in the negative sense – the way we are instructed to never plagiarise the work of others. There are even tools before assignment submission to match up our essays against every other university essay and every word ever printed on the internet, with percentage matches to similar phrases – which are generally completely unrelated.
We tend to see original ideas as being of great importance, and the language we speak of them matches – the lightbulb moment, eureka, enlightenment, “I’ve GOT it”. You know the deal. As if a burst of inspiration suddenly pops into somebody’s brain and everything clicks into place. I listened to a TED radio hour talk last night, driving home from ED around 11pm in the dark and driving rain. Though more a way of staying alert and focussed, it irrevocably altered the way I consider creativity. Because – I no longer believe anything is completely, utterly original. It can’t be. As Mark Twain wrote in a 1903 letter:
“The kernel, the soul — let us go further and say the substance, the bulk, the actual and valuable material of all human utterances — is plagiarism.”
Everything we make, everything we write or think is derived from what has come before. We may repurpose ideas in new ways, or turn things on their head – but they are still drawn, even unconsciously, from so many outside sources. Producers and musicians use the same melodies, hooks and lyrics, sampling from other songs that have come before. All great inventions have been preceded by hundreds of individual, smaller discoveries over decades and centuries, yet we remember the person who made the final step. A pillar of Buddhist philosophy is the idea of interconnectedness – that when you look at a sheet of paper, it doesn’t exist in isolation -the logger who cut down the tree, the trees which need rain, clouds and sunshine to survive, even the mill and the wheat to feed the loggers. Everything coexists. In the food world, we all depend on each other and nothing is “new” – there are finite flavours, textures, ingredients and techniques. We remix the work of others, making small alterations, adding and removing, changing the context. And to me, that in itself is creativity. Because in the end, “those who do not want to imitate anything, do nothing”. – Mark Twain
These pancetta baked beans with basil pesto are my contribution to an unimaginable number of steps. Recorded human use of legumes themselves dates back to the 7 & 8th century. The dish of baked beans might have come from sailors in France, or from South America- it’s unclear. They’ve been successfully canned, and the traditional Boston Baked Beans use a sauce with molasses and salt pork. I’ve been influenced by the fact that 2016 is the United Nations Year of Pulses, as an important sustainable source of protein and nutrients. I also brunched at one of my favourite Melbourne cafes a few weeks ago, where they topped their beans with a vibrant green pesto, elevating it to the next level. Most meat-free meals aren’t complete without being topped with a poached egg around here – whether it is mushrooms & polenta, cauliflower & hummus, or even smashed pomegranate pumpkin on toast.
The beans are so much better than any canned baked beans (seriously, light years). They’re simple too – probably half an hour max from chopping onion to sitting down to eat. That onion is sauteed in garlic, thyme, and a bit of pancetta, before the addition of tomatoes and beans. Chopped parsley and paprika adds a little more flavour, and the homemade basil pesto is the best I’ve made to date. The finishing crusty, warm buttered slices of sourdough are just made for dipping in runny egg yolk and mopping up the sauce.
- splash of olive oil
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
- 1 large onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 50 g pancetta , roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 400 g can tomato in puree
- 2 x 400g cans cannelloni beans
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley , chopped
- 1 cup packed fresh basil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp pinenuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- hot buttered sourdough toast
- poached eggs , 1-2 per person
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Lightly toast the pinenuts in a pan.
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Blitz together the basil and pinenuts in a food processor until finely chopped.
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Add the garlic and parmesan. Blitz to combine.
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Drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running to combine. Scrape down the sides and process again.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Scrape pesto into an airtight container and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
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Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Halve the cherry tomatoes and spread on the baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or so.
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Put a medium pot of water on to boil for the poached eggs (optional).
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Meanwhile, in a large fry pan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the diced onion and minced garlic for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
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Add the chopped pancetta and thyme. Sautee for a further 5 minutes until fragrant.
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Add the smoked paprika and mix to combine.
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Add the can of tomatoes, cannelloni beans, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and white vinegar. Stir to combine and simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes to heat through and thicken slightly.
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Turn off the heat and stir through the parsley.
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Poach the eggs. (see detailed instructions here if you need).
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Serve the baked beans with slices of hot buttered sourdough, a dollop of basil pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes and a poached egg per person.
i was in a buddhist youth group during high school (social reasons, not bc i breathed the buddhist teachings), but we all would have “OOOH”ed and snapped if you started talking about interdependence. anyways, love the sound of this combo; i’m stuck on baked beans with ribs and bbq, so i think it’s pretty creative and original that you made this combo (:
hahahah “OOHs” and snaps seem SO american high school movie to me, love it. My dad is super into zen meditation and stuff lately so I’ve been getting it a bit from there haha! Thanks Heather, hope you had a great weekend xx
What a perfect brunch. Beans really do have a rich history. Intresting post x
Thanks Rebecca!
everytime i’ve had a lightbulb moment, an idea that i feel is completely original, i rarely find that it’s mine alone. but all of the greats in music, food, art have taken inspiration from those that came before. and i am going to take inspiration from this delectable dish when the weather turns a bit cooler. i can’t wait to dive into a plate of this on a crisp fall weekend morning. you had me at beans and pancetta!
That’s so true – it’s pretty much an impossible task to come up with a completely original idea, so we shouldn’t be frustrated by finding that other people have had the idea first. I guess it’s all about putting our spin on it! Thanks so much Cathy xx
One word – YUM – I will be trying this in the weekend, perfect for NZ presently trying to be spring, but actually still end of winter weekend weather. Can’t imagine having had a flat mate like you when I was at med school, it would have been wonderful. Thanks Claudia, love your blog!
Thanks Gabrielle! I know, Melbourne is just the same – can’t make up its mind about the weather. Haha I think everyone enjoys it, especially with all my baking. Would love to know what you think of them! x
This looks amaaaazing. Quintessential brunch. I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Sarah! Would love to know what you think if you give it a go x
Originality comes when I’m out and about, living my life and NOT sticking my face in front of a computer for some strange reason. I always come up with my best and most honest ideas when I’m alone!
And these beans look fabulous! The spices and flavors look so vibrant in every photo!
I agree – input from the computer always seems to influence your other ideas.
Thanks Cassie! x
Girl YES YES YES. I just wrote my personal statement for residencies and it felt stifling to be creative at times because I feel like we all inevitably write the same essay… but you’re right in the end, we all manage to put our own spin even if the underlying theme is the same.
This looks so fresh and inviting and I love that you used pancetta! So fancy pants lovely but sounds like it would taste comfy and inviting at the same time 🙂
Thanks Erica! I love getting pancetta from the supermarket deli because I only need to buy a little bit at a time, so it’s usually only like $2 – winning! #studentlife
Oh good luck with all your residency applications, that’s so exciting! Applications always feel like you’re writing the same thing as anything else, but I so agree, it’s all about your own spin on it with your own life experiences. Hope your well girl!
We are constantly being inspired consciously and sub-consciously, isn’t it. Our brain records so much more than we think it does! I want to curl up in front of the TV on a cozy evening and eat these beans. The poached egg addition is so tempting!
Thanks Jenny! That sounds so perfect, with a blanket and lots of warm bread. It’s the picture of fall! x
This is my kind of meal Claudia! So hearty and comforting. I’ll be adding this to my fall menu!
Thanks Mary Ann! would love to know what you think, it is so comforting but not too heavy at the same time x