Fagioli al Fiasco

Name: Fagioli al Fiasco
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 300 g dried cannellini beans; 600 ml Water; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves Garlic; 6 leaves Fresh sage; 8 pieces Black peppercorns; 5 g Fine sea salt

Tuscan white cannellini beans gently slow-cooked with fresh sage, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil until meltingly tender and creamy.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 150 min
Total: 165 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 320 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

300 g dried cannellini beans — soaked in cold water for 12 hours and drained
600 ml Water — room temperature, filtered if possible
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — preferably robust Tuscan olive oil, plus extra for serving
3 cloves Garlic — lightly bruised, unpeeled
6 leaves Fresh sage — whole
8 pieces Black peppercorns — whole
5 g Fine sea salt — to taste, added towards the end

Equipment

•Heatproof glass jar or lidded terracotta pot
•Deep roasting tin
•Colander
•Measuring jug

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 320 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 14 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 320 kcal

Instructions

1
Rinse the soaked cannellini beans thoroughly under cold running water and drain well.
2
Preheat your oven to 130°C (110°C fan) to create a gentle, steady heat.
3
Place the drained beans into a large heatproof glass preserving jar or lidded earthenware pot.
4
Add the bruised garlic cloves, whole sage leaves, peppercorns, and extra virgin olive oil.
5
Pour in the water so the beans are covered by roughly two finger-widths.
6
Cover the jar loosely with an unsealed lid or foil to allow slight evaporation.
7
Set the vessel into a deep roasting tin and pour warm water around its base.
8
Bake for two to two and a half hours until the beans are completely tender.
9
Stir in the fine sea salt during the final fifteen minutes of cooking.
10
Rest for ten minutes before ladling into bowls with extra olive oil.

Chef's tips

Never use an antique glass wine flask on direct heat, as modern safety standards require an oven-safe jar or earthenware pot. Always add salt towards the very end of cooking to prevent the bean skins from toughening. Use a peppery, high-quality Tuscan extra virgin olive oil to dress the finished beans generously at the table.

Ingredient substitutions

dried cannellini beans → dried zolfino beans or dried bianchetti beans for another authentic Tuscan variation
heatproof glass jar → heavy lidded terracotta bean pot (pignatta) or small cast-iron casserole dish

Storage

Store leftover beans in their cooking liquor in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat until steaming, adding a splash of water if needed.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling the beans at too high a temperature, which breaks the delicate skins and clouds the broth
•Salting the beans at the start of cooking, which hardens their skins
•Sealing the glass jar airtight in the oven, which risks dangerous pressure build-up

Serving suggestions

Spoon over thick slices of toasted unsalted Tuscan bread (pane toscano)Serve alongside grilled Florentine T-bone steak (bistecca alla fiorentina)Drizzle generously with raw, peppery Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper