Fagioli all'Uccelletto

Name: Fagioli all'Uccelletto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 500 g cooked cannellini beans; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves Garlic cloves; 8 leaves fresh sage leaves; 400 g canned whole plum tomatoes; 100 ml reserved bean cooking liquid; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

A classic Florentine dish of tender cannellini beans gently stewed in extra virgin olive oil with garlic, fragrant fresh sage, and rich tomatoes.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 285 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g cooked cannellini beans — drained, cooking liquid reserved
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — good quality Tuscan oil preferred
3 cloves Garlic cloves — peeled and lightly crushed
8 leaves fresh sage leaves — washed and dried
400 g canned whole plum tomatoes — crushed lightly with a fork
100 ml reserved bean cooking liquid — or water if using tinned beans
1 tsp Fine sea salt — adjust to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper — coarsely ground

Equipment

•heavy-based saucepan or terracotta pot
•wooden spoon
•chef's knife
•measuring spoons

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 285 kcal
fat: 11 g
carbs: 34 g
fibre: 9 g
protein: 12 g
calories: 285 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat.
2
Add the crushed garlic cloves and fresh sage leaves to the oil.
3
Sizzle gently for two minutes until fragrant and the garlic turns pale gold.
4
Pour in the crushed plum tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5
Simmer the sauce over low heat for fifteen minutes until thick and glossy.
6
Gently fold in the cooked cannellini beans and half the reserved bean liquid.
7
Simmer uncovered for fifteen minutes until the sauce coats the beans evenly.
8
Add more bean liquid if the mixture looks dry before finishing.
9
Remove the pan from the heat and rest for five minutes before serving.

Chef's tips

Use beans cooked from dry with aromatics for the finest flavour, though quality jarred cannellini work well too. Stir with a wooden spoon very gently to keep the bean skins intact.

Ingredient substitutions

cannellini beans → borlotti beans, though the dish will have a nuttier, darker profile
canned plum tomatoes → fresh ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and roughly chopped

Storage

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; the flavours improve overnight.

Reheating

Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Browning the garlic too heavily, which gives the oil an unpleasantly bitter taste.
•Stirring the stew vigorously and breaking the tender beans into a mush.
•Using pre-flavoured tomato sauces rather than whole peeled tomatoes cooked down with fresh sage.

Serving suggestions

Serve as a classic contorno (side dish) alongside grilled Tuscan sausages or Florentine steak.Spoon generously over thick slices of toasted unsalted pane toscano (Tuscan bread) rubbed with garlic.