October 2025

Autumn mushrooms with borlotti beans & cavolo nero

Name: Autumn mushrooms with borlotti beans & cavolo nero
Yield: Recipe serves 6
Ingredients: 200g dried borlotti beans(or 250g fresh podded, or 400g cooked and drained); 250g cavolo nero; 250g mixed autumn mushrooms; 3tbsp light olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 50g unsalted butter; 6 banana shallots, finely sliced; 2 sprigs sage, leaves picked and chopped; 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped; 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (reduce to 500ml if using cooked borlotti beans); Handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Comforting and hearty, this stew is the perfect winter seasonal dish

By Emily LampsonPhotography by Maja Smend

10 October 2025

Autumn mushrooms with borlotti beans cavolo nero

Maja Smend

‘The first restaurant kitchen I worked in was in Florence, 25 years ago,’ says Emily Lampson. ‘Beccofino has since closed, but the inspiration stays with me. The most valuable lesson I learned there was respect for ingredients – sourcing the best local produce and using herbs to bring a dish together. When I returned to the UK, I went straight into Heston Blumenthal’s kitchen at The Fat Duck, before opening The Kingham Plough in the Cotswolds. There, I found myself reverting to Italy when sourcing cheese, meat, fruit and vegetables. We were fortunate – there was plenty to choose from. Now, I cook at the barn on our farm in Dorset, hosting supper clubs and private events.’

As the leaves turn and we start to long for more comforting dishes, this recipe really fits the bill.
It can be a meal in itself, but would also work well served alongside a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb.

MAY WE SUGGEST: More autumnal Italian recipes by Emily Lampson

Recipe notes