Fagiuoli all'Ucceletto
Source of Recipe
the web
Recipe Introduction
Fagiuoli all'uccelletto, beans with a light tomato sauce, are one of the most classic Tuscan dishes, and are a common accompaniment to braised dishes or stews in the winter months. Served with Italian link sausages they also make a perfect winter main course. In short, they're comfort food.
If you choose to serve them with sausages, you'll want freshly made mild Italian sausages, or perhaps a mixture of mild and other kinds (e.g. garlic or pepper-laced), so long as the spiced sausages aren't so strong they'll overpower the beans. Depending upon the size of the sausages and the appetites of your diners, figure two or more sausages per person.
List of Ingredients
1 pound (500 g) dried canellini (white beans), soaked for 3 hours.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
7-8 leaves of sage
1-2 peeled fresh plum tomatoes or a small can of tomatoes
Boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
8 Italian link sausages (optional)
Recipe
Begin by boiling the beans until 3/4 done in lightly salted water. This will take about an hour, though you should begin checking them after a half hour. You don't want them to go soft on you. If you are including sausages, prick their skins lightly with a fork and simmer them in boiling water to cover for 15 minutes to render out some of the fat.
Once the beans are 3/4 done, set the olive oil to heat over a medium flame, in a heavy bottomed clay pot or dutch oven. When the oil's hot, add the garlic and the sage (not more than seven or eight leaves; too much sage will make the beans bitter); cook until the sage crackles and the garlic is lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, then add the beans and bean broth to cover. Season the beans with salt and pepper, add the sausages, and simmer everything until the beans are quite soft, stirring occasionally and adding bean broth as necessary to keep things from drying out.
Serves four
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