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    Home » Italian Sides

    Fagioli all'Uccelletto | White Beans in Tomato Sauce

    Published: Feb 24, 2023 · Modified: Jun 6, 2024 by Silvana Nava · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Fagioli all'Uccelletto is the Italian name of a rich and hearty Tuscan recipe: White Beans in Tomato Sauce.

    It's made with cannellini beans, tomato passata, garlic, oil and sage leaves. These simple ingredients, cooked slowly together, create a warm, comforting and delicious dish.

    A goodness that has its roots in the Tuscan cucina povera, just like Pappa al Pomodoro, Panzanella and Ribollita.

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 5

    "All'Uccelletto" in Italian means "cooked in the manner of birds". There are several hypotheses about the origin of this curious name, which we will reveal below.Fagioli All'uccelletto is a side dish, perfect to go with meat dishes. Served with homemade bread or a tasty steaming polenta, this Tuscan white beans in tomato sauce become a delicious main course.

    Cannellini beans are the key ingredient of this recipe. They are known for their high protein content, almost double that of cereals. They are therefore an important food for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet and are an excellent alternative to meat.

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 3

    The preparation is very simple. The traditional rule is to use dried beans, soaked for hours and then cooked. But if you are really pressed for time, you can use canned beans. In this case, it takes about 40 minutes.

    The secret to an excellent result, in addition to using the best quality products, is to cook over a gentle heat. The texture of the dish should remain moist but not brothy. The beans should not dry out or shrivel during cooking.

    Try Fagioli all'Uccelletto Recipe! You will fall in love with these white beans cooked in tomato sauce!

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 4

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Kitchen Tools and Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • Origins
    • Recipe Card


    Ingredients

    • Prep Time: 12 H for dried cannellini beans or 5 Min for canned cannellini beans.
    • Cook Time: 40 Min for dried cannellini beans or 10 Min for canned cannellini beans.
    • Servings: 4

    • 400 g (about 1 pound) of dried Cannellini beans or 800 g (1 ¾ pound) of canned Cannellini beans,
    • 350 g (1 ½ cups) of tomato passata. Have a look to our homemade tomato passata recipe
    • 2 fresh garlic cloves
    • 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves
    • 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
    • fine salt to taste
    • ground black pepper to taste

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 6

    Kitchen Tools and Equipment

    • LARGE BOWL: Make sure you have a large bowl in which to soak the beans. Remember that they will double in volume as they rehydrate.
    • POTS: Then you need a large pot with high sides to boil the beans and a skimmer to remove the foam during cooking. Traditionally we use a Terracotta pot to stew the cannellini beans with the seasonings and the tomato, as it retains the heat and cooks more evenly. This item is also very beautiful, decorates the kitchen and makes a nice gift. An Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is also suitable.
    • TO SERVE: To serve Fagioli all Uccelletto, we recommend a set of Rustic Dishes, as in old Tuscan kitchens. Have a look at this beautiful set of small pots that will decorate your table and amaze your guests!

    Instructions

    fagioli alluccelletto-beans in tomato sauce step 1

    Step 1) - If you are using DRIED CANNELLINI BEANS: begin the preparation of the Fagioli all'uccelletto recipe by soaking the beans.

    Leave them to soak in plenty of water for 8-12 hours. As the beans rehydrate, they double in volume, so use a large bowl.

    At the end of the soaking time, rinse, drain, and cook the beans in plenty of boiling water for about 40 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

    If you are using CANNED CANNELLINI BEANS: drain the beans in a pasta strainer and rinse with fresh water. They are already cooked, so set them aside.

    fagioli alluccelletto white beans in tomato sauce step 2

    Step 2) - Heat the oil and add the peeled garlic cloves and sage leaves. Stir gently and sauté over low heat for a few minutes so that the oil takes on the flavors of the ingredients.

    Then add the tomato passata and stir.

    fagioli alluccelletto white beans in tomato sauce step 3

    Step 3) - After 2-3 minutes, add the cannellini beans. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes if you used DRIED BEANS, 5-6 minutes if you used CANNED BEANS. Cook gently over low heat.

    fagioli alluccelletto white beans in tomato sauce step 4

    Step 4) - If necessary, add a ladle of hot water from the cooking beans (or just hot water) to make the preparation more moist and less dry. The beans should be tender and well cooked, but not flaky.

    At the end of cooking, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. The consistency should not be too dry but with plenty of sauce, not runny but creamy.

    Serve Fagioli all'Uccelletto hot with fresh bread or as a side dish for other recipes.

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 1

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    Storage

    You can store these Italian white beans in tomato sauce in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

    Variations

    The main variations of this simple recipe concern the type of beans used.

    As already mentioned, the authentic recipe requires the use of cannellini beans, but there are several local variations that prefer other types of beans, such as Schiaccioni di Pietrasanta, Lamon beans or Borlotti beans.

    But it is not only the different types of beans that give rise to variations on the classic recipe.

    • Beans all'Uccelletto alla Butese: For example, there is the fagioli all'uccelletto alla Butese, characterized by the addition of crumbled Italian sausage. Typical of the province of Pisa.
    • Fagioli Arrovellati: Then there are the Fagioli Arrovellati, which, in addition to sage, include the addition of other herbs such as Mentuccia thyme, basil and marjoram.
    • Beans all'Uccelletto with Seafood: Another dish that you cannot miss is the one that is typical of the coastal areas, where they add mussels and other seafood to the ingredients.
    • Beans all'Uccelletto Without Tomatoes: Finally, there is Fagioli all'uccelletto "in bianco", that is without tomatoes. A very easy and tasty recipe, in which the scent of sage and garlic is intense and predominant. You can eat them hot or cold. They are always delicious!

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 2

    Origins

    What makes the Fagioli all'Uccelletto recipe so special is not so much the type of beans, but the use of fresh sage leaves.

    It seems that the name of the recipe comes from the use of sage!

    "Fagioli all'Uccelletto" in Italian means "beans cooked in the manner of birds".

    There are two main theories about the origin of the name, and in both the sage is the protagonist.

    According to Pellegrino Artusi, the name comes from the fact that the aromas used to prepare these Italian white beans in tomato sauce, especially sage, are the same used to make "uccelletti allo spiedo", also a traditional Tuscan dish.

    According to others, the name refers to the similarity of the taste of the beans, again given by the sage, which in ancient times was served as a side dish to main courses of meat or game.

    fagioli all'uccelletto-beans in tomato sauce - 1

    Recipe Card

    STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVE!Have a look at my step-by-step photo instructions, variations and tips. That way, you can get it perfect the first time you try it!
    fagioli alluccelletto beans in tomato sauce

    Fagioli all'Uccelletto (Beans in Tomato Sauce)

    Silvana Nava
    Fagioli all'Uccelletto is the Italian name of a rich and hearty Tuscan recipe: White Beans in Tomato Sauce.
    It's made with cannellini beans, tomato passata, garlic, oil and sage leaves. These simple ingredients, cooked slowly together, create a warm, comforting and delicious dish.
    5 from 2 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 158 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 400 g beans ~1 pound of dried Cannellini beans or 800 g (1 ¾ pound) of canned Cannellini beans
    • 350 g tomato puree 1 ½ cups
    • 2 garlic cloves fresh
    • 4 sage leaves fresh
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
    • salt to taste
    • black pepper ground, to taste

    Instructions
     

    FOR DRIED CANNELLINI BEANS

    • If you are using DRIED CANNELLINI BEANS: begin the preparation of the Fagioli all'uccelletto recipe by soaking the beans. Leave them to soak in plenty of water for 8-12 hours. As the beans rehydrate, they double in volume, so use a large bowl.
    • At the end of the soaking time, rinse, drain, and cook the beans in plenty of boiling water for about 40 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

    FOR CANNED CANNELLINI BEANS

    • If you are using CANNED CANNELLINI BEANS: drain the beans in a pasta strainer and rinse with fresh water. They are already cooked, so set them aside.
    • Heat the oil and add the peeled garlic cloves and sage leaves. Stir gently and sauté over low heat for a few minutes so that the oil takes on the flavors of the ingredients.
    • Then add the tomato passata and stir.
    • After 2-3 minutes, add the cannellini beans. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes if you used DRIED BEANS, 5-6 minutes if you used CANNED BEANS. Cook gently over low heat.
    • If necessary, add a ladle of hot water from the cooking beans (or just hot water) to make the preparation more moist and less dry. The beans should be tender and well cooked, but not flaky.
    • At the end of cooking, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. The consistency should not be too dry but with plenty of sauce, not runny but creamy.
    • Serve Fagioli all'Uccelletto hot with fresh bread or as a side dish for other recipes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 100gCalories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 467IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword fagioli all'uccelletto, Italian beans in tomato sauce
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    Comments

    1. Adam says

      February 13, 2024 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Should the garlic and sage be removed once cooking is completed, or should they be left in?

      Reply
      • Barbara Felicità Lucchini says

        February 13, 2024 at 3:43 pm

        Hi Adam,
        thanks for your comment! Remove them before serving

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Barbara & Silvana

    CIAO! Barbara & Silvana here! We are the authors of these amazing Italian recipes. Living in Italy, they are part of our culture, tradition and everyday life. And we want to share them with you all, straight from Italy! Learn more about us! Read our story!

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