Fagioli e Cicoria alla Pignata

Name: Fagioli e Cicoria alla Pignata
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 300 g dried cannellini beans; 600 g chicory (cicoria); 2 pieces ripe plum tomatoes; 2 cloves Garlic cloves; 1 piece celery stalk; 1 piece Bay leaf; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 5 g Fine sea salt; 2 g Black pepper

Creamy white beans slow-cooked with aromatics, paired with tender bitter chicory and finished with fruity olive oil.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 105 min
Total: 120 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 380 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

300 g dried cannellini beans — soaked in cold water for 12 hours
600 g chicory (cicoria) — trimmed and washed thoroughly
2 pieces ripe plum tomatoes — halved
2 cloves Garlic cloves — peeled, left whole
1 piece celery stalk — halved
1 piece Bay leaf — fresh or dried
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — robust Pugliese variety
5 g Fine sea salt — to taste
2 g Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Terracotta pignata or heavy lidded casserole pot
•Large saucepan
•Colander
•Heat diffuser
•Ladle

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 380 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 52 g
fibre: 14 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 380 kcal

Instructions

1
Drain and rinse the soaked beans thoroughly in fresh cold water.
2
Place the beans into a terracotta pignata or heavy-based casserole pot.
3
Add the halved tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, celery, and bay leaf.
4
Pour in cold water until the beans are submerged by three centimetres.
5
Place over low heat with a diffuser and bring to a gentle simmer.
6
Cover with a lid and cook for ninety minutes until completely tender.
7
Stir in the salt gently and remove the aromatics before serving.
8
Cook the chicory in boiling salted water for eight minutes until soft.
9
Drain the chicory in a colander and press out excess liquid gently.
10
Arrange the hot beans alongside the drained chicory in shallow bowls.
11
Drizzle each bowl generously with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper.

Chef's tips

If cooking in an authentic terracotta pignata over a gas flame, always place a metal heat diffuser underneath to prevent cracking. Keep hot water on hand to top up the pot if the liquid reduces before the beans turn tender.

Ingredient substitutions

chicory (cicoria) → curly endive or dandelion greens for a similar bitter profile
dried cannellini beans → dried haricot beans or tondino beans

Storage

Keep cooled beans and chicory stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a small splash of water until steaming hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Salting the beans at the beginning of cooking, which hardens their skins.
•Boiling the beans too vigorously, causing them to split and break apart.
•Failing to squeeze excess cooking water from the boiled chicory.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside thick slices of toasted pane di Altamura or rustic sourdough bread.Accompany with pickled lampascioni (wild hyacinth bulbs) for an authentic Apulian meal.