Tuscan White Beans are Delicious, Fast, Easy and Affordable

I love legumes as a main course (see my respective recipes for chickpeas and lentils), and white beans are among my favorites for their versatility, health benefits (high protein, zero fat, tons of vitamins, and minerals +).

Many chefs and serious home cooks like to soak whole cannellini (white) beans overnight, and then braise them for hours in aromatics and brodo until that perfect pinch indicates they are done.

I like doing that, too, but I also like getting lunch or dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. I also like hearty, nutritious meals that use very few ingredients and cost under five bucks.

Hence, this variation on Fagioli all'Uccelletto, a Tuscan-based white bean dish "made in the style of birds" which essentially mimics the ingredients hunters use to stew small birds, with tomato puree, sage, garlic and olive oil.

I prefer fresh tomatoes to passata, and - of course, with expedition in mind - canned or jarred cannellini beans to dried.

Try this recipe for a main course, enhanced by some crusty bread slathered in your best extra virgin olive oil. It also works as a fulsome, toothy side to fish or meat. Tuscans love to pair this as a side with Bistecca Fiorentina.

Buon Appetito!

Tuscan White Beans

Recipe by Andrew Cotto

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. can 1 cannellini beans

• 2 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

• 1/4 cup 1/4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

• 2 cloves 2 garlic, sliced thin

• 1/2 cup 1/2 extra virgin olive oil (+ more to taste before serving - see "Notes")

• 1/2 cup 1/2 unsalted vegetable stock

• salt & red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

• Heat the olive oil and garlic over low-to-medium heat in a saucepan.
• When the oil shimmers and that garlic pales (1-2 minutes), season with salt and red pepper flakes.
• Add the cannellini beans and raise the heat to medium. Toss and coat the beans in oil.
• Add the stock, stir, and adjust heat to a simmer.
• After five minutes, add the tomatoes and sage.
• Simmer for five minutes and plate.
  
• Swirl with high-quality extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Notes

• The evoo used in the recipe for cooking should be your everyday olive oil, while the evoo used for anointing at the end should be your high-quality product (to taste).

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