Braised White Beans

 Fagiolini all’ Uccelletto

Ucceletto means “little birds”, and this side dish is so named because quail and other small birds were often prepared using garlic, tomatoes and sage.

1 cup dried cannellini beans

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 fresh sage leaves, rosemary or thyme sprigs

¼ cup olive oil

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1. Rinse the beans and drain. Soak overnight in plenty of water.
2. Drain the beans, place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered until tender, about 1 hour.
3. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid.
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garic in olive oil until the garlic begins to color. Add the beans, tomatoes, sage, salt and pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Add some of the reserved liquid and cook 5 minutes more.
6. Serve.