Tuscan Stewed Beans (Fagioli all’Ucelletto)

A serving of Tuscan Stewed Beans in a round black bowl, with a piece of grilled bread sitting on the beans.

These Tuscan Stewed Beans (Fagioli all’Uccelletto) are the epitome of rustic Italian comfort food. Made with plant-based ingredients, this is a hearty, flavoursome stew. For convenience, we have used canned cannellini beans which we simmer with extra virgin olive oil, tomato passata, garlic, sage leaves and some dried chilli flakes for a touch of spice. Enjoy it on its own with crusty bread or serve as a side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 292kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Beans:

3 tablespoon (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
3 cloves garlic – peeled, gently crushed but left whole
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves - approximately 8-10 leaves, large ones cut in half.
2 cups (500 ml) tomato passata See Note 2
½ cup (125 ml) water
800 g (28 oz) tinned cannellini beans – rinsed and drained
¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
sea salt – to taste See Note 3

For Serving:

grilled or toasted bread
extra virgin olive oil - a drizzle

Instructions

To a large, deep frying pan, add the olive oil. Heat over medium high.
Add the whole, crushed garlic cloves to the oil, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until a light golden colour - ensure they don’t burn.
Add in the sage leaves (they may cause the oil to spit, so do this carefully). Stir quickly.
Then, add in the tomato passata and water and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the beans, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Check that the seasoning is to your liking. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of grilled bread to mop up the delicious sauce.

Notes

Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Tomato passata: this is pureed, strained, tomatoes, generally sold in glass bottles. If you are not able to source this, you can use the same quantity of canned tomatoes, but I recommend cooking the sauce for additional 10 minutes before adding in the beans.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
Storage and reheating: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The beans may thicken while standing, so add some more water if necessary.
Freezing: allow to cool completely before storing the soup in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Be sure to label and date the container as frozen dishes can be difficult to identify.

Nutrition