Today’s Regional Italian dish is from Tuscany and more specifically from the beautiful city of Florence.  It is a very simple yet tasty recipe that can be served as a vegetarian/vegan main dish or, as it is common in Tuscany, as a side to barbecued Italian sausages.  Fagioli all’uccelletto is an ancient recipe made of beans in a delicious tomato based sauce.  The name itself is quite peculiar as it literally means “bird style beans” and even though there is no meat in the dish, it looks like this name was given to it as it tasted like a similar dish made with game!  It is traditionally made with white beans, but it does vary from town to town.  I like to make it with fresh beans and as borlotti are the only beans I find fresh, I made it with them, but feel free to use dry white (or borlotti) beans.  Enjoy!

Wash the beans and cook them in salty boiling water until cooked through but still firm (if you over cook them, they will break).  If you are using dry beans, make sure to put them in water the night before you want to cook them.  When the beans are ready, strain them and keep them aside.  NOTE: keep the cooking liquid as you will be using some of it later.

Now sauté the garlic and sage in the extra virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes.  Then add the diced tomatoes and cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked beans to the sauce, stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes adding 1 or 2 ladles of the beans cooking liquid.

Serve warm with some toasted crusty bread and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Fagioli all'Uccelletto

Fagioli all'uccelletto - a typical dish from Tuscany made of beans cooked in a delicious tomato and sage sauce.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Author Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

• 300 gms – 10.5 oz. beans I used fresh borlotti, but you can use white beans and/or dry beans
• 2 cloves garlic
• 200 gms – 7 oz. tinned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more to serve
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4-5 sage leaves

Instructions

1. Wash the beans and cook them in salty boiling water until cooked through but still firm (if you over cook them, they will break). If you are using dry beans, make sure to put them in water the night before you want to cook them. When the beans are ready, strain them and keep them aside. NOTE: keep the cooking liquid as you will be using some of it later.
2. Now sauté the garlic and sage in the extra virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes and cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the cooked beans to the sauce, stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes adding 1 or 2 ladles of the beans cooking liquid.
4. Serve warm with some toasted crusty bread and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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