Bean and Vegetable Casserole with Red Bell Pepper, Rosemary, and Italian Parsley Pesto

Ingredients:

2 15-oz. cans of beans, rinsed or low sodium (pinto, red, kidney, black, garbanzo, great northern)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow or green squash
1 cup quartered tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large fresh red bell pepper (canned pimentos 7-oz)
1 pkg. Italian parsley
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1/2 pkg. rosemary
1/4 cup walnuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- fresh ground black pepper
2 cups cooked white rice


Instructions:
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, saute the onion, carrot, garlic, and celery in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the squash and cook for 5 more minutes. While the beans are simmering, seed the pepper and remove the leaves from the rosemary, place the peppers in a blender or food processor and puree. Add the herbs, pour in the oil and lastly add the nuts and cheese. To serve, ladle the beans into soup or pasta bowls and pour 1 Tbsp. of pesto over each order. Garnish with sprig of rosemary of parsley. This could be served over rice or pasta.