Fagioli all'Uccelletto

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for cooking beans
• •Wide 12-inch skillet or braiser
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   Place the drained beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by three inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain the laziest bubble. Cook until the beans are tender but hold their shape, about one hour to one hour fifteen minutes. The timing depends on the age of your beans. Older beans take longer. Taste one. It should be creamy throughout with no chalky center.

   Never salt beans during cooking. Salt toughens the skins and prevents the interior from becoming properly tender. You will salt them later, after they have cooked.
2. 2

   Drain and reserve

   When the beans are tender, drain them, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Set both aside. The starchy bean water will help create the proper sauce consistency later.

3. 3

   Infuse the oil

   In a wide, heavy skillet or braiser, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and sage leaves. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is pale gold and the sage leaves have crisped slightly at the edges, about 3 minutes. The garlic must not brown. If it begins to color too quickly, reduce the heat immediately.

   The garlic here is a whisper, not a shout. You are infusing the oil with its essence, not creating a garlic sauce. If the garlic browns, it becomes bitter and acrid. Start over if this happens.
4. 4

   Add tomatoes

   Add the hand-crushed tomatoes to the skillet, including their juices. Stir to combine with the infused oil. Let the tomatoes simmer for 5 minutes, breaking them up further with a wooden spoon, until they begin to thicken and lose their raw edge.

5. 5

   Braise the beans

   Add the drained beans to the tomato mixture. Stir gently to coat them without crushing. Add half the reserved bean cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and let the beans simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. The sauce should reduce and cling to the beans. Add more bean liquid if it becomes too dry before the flavors have melded.

   Stir gently and not too often. You want the beans to hold their shape. This is not a puree. Each bean should remain intact, coated in sauce.
6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Remove the skillet from heat and let the beans rest for 10 minutes. They will absorb more sauce as they cool slightly. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a warm serving bowl. Drizzle with a thread of fresh olive oil if you wish. Serve warm, not hot, alongside grilled meats or as part of an antipasto spread.

Chef Tips

• •Dried beans are not optional here. Canned beans will feed you, but they will not give you the texture and flavor of beans you have cooked yourself. The starchy cooking liquid is essential to the sauce.
• •Fresh sage is required. Dried sage tastes of dust and disappointment. If you cannot find fresh sage, make a different dish.
• •This is a contorno, a side dish, not a main course. Serve it alongside bistecca alla fiorentina or grilled sausages. Or serve it at room temperature as part of an antipasto, with bread to soak up the sauce.
• •The dish improves after resting for an hour at room temperature. The beans continue to absorb the sage-scented tomato sauce. Reheat gently if needed, adding a splash of water.

Advance Preparation

• •Beans can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated in their cooking liquid. Drain and reserve the liquid before proceeding.
• •The finished dish keeps refrigerated for three days. Reheat gently over low heat, adding water as needed. The sauce thickens considerably when cold.
• •Fagioli all'uccelletto is traditionally served at room temperature. You may make it several hours ahead and leave it, covered, on the counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)