December 16, 2016

These Tuscan-style white kidney beans are deceptively simple.  A lot of flavor is coaxed out of a few ingredients.  They are great on their own as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.  They make wonderful pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans).  They freeze well so you can always have them on hand.  The flavor is so good, you won’t resort to canned beans again!

Quite typically, these beans would have been made in the fading embers of a fire, often left to cook overnight.  Although the contemporary version uses a standard kitchen oven, I made them in our wood-burning oven a while back.  It was a challenge to keep the temperature at 250-275ºF but in the end it was worth it.  There was a very subtle smoky flavor to the beans.

Buy the best quality and freshest dried cannellini beans you can find.  If the beans are old they may never completely tenderize.  I particularly like the Marcella Beans from Rancho Gordo.

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Cannellini alla Toscana

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Cuisine

Italian

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

3-5 hours

Passive Time

12 hours

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried cannellini beans
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4-5 sage leaves fresh
• 1 bay leaf preferably fresh
• 15-16 whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt

Cuisine Italian Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 3-5 hours Passive Time 12 hours Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 pound dried cannellini beans 4-5 cloves garlic 4-5 sage leaves fresh 1 bay leaf preferably fresh 15-16 whole black peppercorns 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fine sea salt

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Instructions

1. Pick over and wash the cannellini beans. Soak them in abundant water to cover, under refrigeration, for 6-8 hours or overnight.

   
2. Drain the beans and put them in an earthenware bean pot or ovenproof casserole with a lid. Add water to just reach top of beans then add another 2 cups of water.

   
3. Using the side of chef's knife, bruise the garlic.

   
4. Add garlic, sage, bay leaf, peppercorns and olive oil to the beans. Cover and bake at 250ºF for 2 hours.

   
5. Add the salt and stir well. Cover and cook the beans, stirring every 30-45 minutes, until they are creamy and not at all chalky. Do not overcook the beans or they will blow apart. This could take another one to three hours depending on the beans and your elevation.

   

Recipe Notes

The beans are best made a day or two in advance.  If not serving immediately, cool the beans to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze.  When ready to serve, warm the beans in a 250ºF oven.

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