Delicious dish of Tuscan origin.
The gastronome Pellegrino Artusi claimed that the name “uccelletto” is derived from the use of garlic and sage in game dishes. In fact, he called them “Beans in the guise of birds”.
This, instead, is a vegetable dish only.

Beans “uccelletto” (small bird) style

  • Preparation time: 90 minutes
  • Ingredients for 4-6 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 12 oz (300 g) of shelled fresh cannellini beans or Navy beans
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 12 oz (300 g) of peeled tomatoes
  • 3 sage leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Leave the beans to soak for at least twenty-four hours, changing the water every eight or nine hours.
  3. In a pot with water, boil the beans for about forty-five minutes or an hour.
  4. Drain them when cooking is not yet finished, keeping a cup of cooking water.
  5. Using a vegetable mill, chop the peeled tomatoes, thus removing the seeds and peel.
  6. In a pan with oil, fry the garlic over a low flame for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, sage, and beans with a cup of the cooking water.
  7. Lower the heat and cook for about twenty minutes. Salt.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • Beans must be dry, but not old. Check the package label to make sure they have not been dried for over six months. The older they are, the harder they are – that means they need a longer rest in the water, even up to three days, as well as a longer cooking time. In addition, old, dried beans have lost many of their nutrients.
  • When boiling the beans in the pot, there must not be too much water and the fire must not be too high – otherwise, they risk losing the outer skin and flaking.
  •  The best pot for boiling beans is undoubtedly the crock pot.