Chef Graziella
Asparagi al Forno con Parmigiano
Roasted asparagus finished with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano from the same region that grows the best spears. Four ingredients. No complications. Nothing to hide behind.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Fagioli all'Olio
Created by
White beans dressed with nothing but the finest olive oil, salt, and pepper. This is Tuscan cooking reduced to its essence, where there is nowhere to hide and quality is everything.
Side Dishes
Italian, Tuscan
Weeknight
Quick Meal
15 min
Active Time
1 hr 30 min cook•1 hr 45 min total
Yield6 servings
Tuscans are called mangiafagioli, bean eaters, and they accept this as a compliment. The white cannellini bean is to Tuscany what the chickpea is to Rome: the foundation upon which countless dishes are built. But before you add beans to soup or stew them with tomatoes, you must understand them in their purest form.
Fagioli all'olio asks only three things of you: cook the beans properly, use the finest olive oil you can afford, and season with confidence. That is all. No garlic to distract, no herbs beyond what perfumes the cooking water, no acidity to complicate. The bean and the oil, in conversation.
This simplicity terrifies some cooks. They want to add things. They believe more ingredients mean more flavor. The opposite is true. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in. A perfectly cooked cannellini bean, dressed with Tuscan olive oil that tastes of grass and pepper and artichoke, needs nothing else. To add more is to admit your ingredients were not good enough to stand alone.
Cannellini beans arrived in Tuscany from the Americas in the 16th century and found a permanent home in the region's cucina povera. Tuscan peasants discovered that these humble legumes, cooked slowly and dressed with the local olive oil, provided sustenance through lean winters. The preparation has remained unchanged for five centuries because there is nothing to improve.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
dried cannellini beans
Quantity
1 pound
yellow onion
Quantity
1 small
peeled and halved
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
peeled and left whole
fresh sage leaves
Quantity
4
bay leaf
Quantity
1
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/3 cup, plus more for drizzling
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| dried cannellini beans | 1 pound |
| yellow onionpeeled and halved | 1 small |
| garlic clovespeeled and left whole | 2 |
| fresh sage leaves | 4 |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/3 cup, plus more for drizzling |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Large 6-quart pot
- •Slotted spoon
Instructions
- 1
Soak the beans
Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least four inches. Let them soak for 8 hours or overnight. The beans will double in size. Drain and rinse before cooking.
If you forget to soak, you may use the quick-soak method: cover beans with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. The texture will be slightly less creamy, but acceptable. - 2
Cook the beans gently
Place the soaked beans in a large pot. Add the halved onion, whole garlic cloves, sage leaves, and bay leaf. Cover with fresh cold water by three inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. The moment you see bubbles, reduce the heat to low. The water should barely move, with only an occasional bubble rising to the surface. Cook uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Never boil beans vigorously. Aggressive heat bursts the skins and turns them to mush. A lazy simmer produces beans that hold their shape while becoming creamy within. - 3
Test for doneness
The beans are done when you can crush one easily against the roof of your mouth with your tongue. The skin should be tender, not papery. The interior should be completely smooth, with no trace of chalkiness. If uncertain, cook them longer. Undercooked beans cannot be rescued once drained.
- 4
Salt at the end
When the beans are tender, add salt generously. Stir gently and let them sit in the hot cooking liquid for 10 minutes. This allows the salt to penetrate. Never salt beans before they are fully cooked. Salt toughens the skins and prevents the interior from becoming tender.
Taste a bean after salting. It should taste seasoned throughout, not bland in the center. If needed, add more salt and wait another few minutes. - 5
Drain and remove aromatics
Drain the beans, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid in case you need it later. Discard the onion, garlic, sage, and bay leaf. They have given everything they have to give.
- 6
Dress with olive oil
Transfer the warm beans to a serving bowl. Pour the olive oil over them and fold gently with a spoon. Do not stir aggressively or you will break the beans. Grind fresh black pepper generously over the top. Taste and add more salt if needed. Drizzle with additional olive oil at the table.
Chef Tips
- •Your olive oil is the dish. Use the best you have, something Tuscan if possible, with enough bitterness and pepperiness to stand up to the beans. Cheap oil produces a cheap dish.
- •Dried beans from the current harvest cook faster and taste better than beans that have sat in a warehouse for two years. Seek out a source with good turnover. Old beans never fully soften.
- •Serve the beans warm or at room temperature, never cold from the refrigerator. Cold mutes the flavor of the olive oil.
- •Some Tuscan cooks add a tablespoon of the cooking liquid when dressing the beans. This creates a slightly saucier consistency. Both versions are correct.
Advance Preparation
- •Cooked beans, undressed, keep refrigerated in their cooking liquid for up to 4 days. Drain and dress just before serving.
- •Dressed beans are best within a few hours. The olive oil loses its vibrancy overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 240g)
Calories
370 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
11 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
580 mg
Total Carbohydrates
47 g
Dietary Fiber
12 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
18 g
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