Fagioli all'Uccelletto Tuscan bean is one of the classics of the Florentine traditional dishes, which reveals a masterful combination of flavours in its simplicity. However, the origin of the definition "all'uccelletto" (uccello=bird) remains a mystery: the most likely hypothesis is that it refers to the presence of sage, a mandatory ingredient for cooking birds. Typically we use the Cannelini-type beans, but you can use any other available.

Fagioli all'Uccelletto recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients:
800g of cannellini beans (300g if dried)
A sprig of sage
Three cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Chilli pepper
Five ripe tomatoes

Preparation:
Boil the beans by adding a spoonful of oil (if they are dry, soak them for 2 hours), turning them off "al dente". In a saucepan – traditionally earthenware, but steel is also fine – sauté the garlic and sage with six tablespoons of oil and add the peeled tomatoes. Set aside for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring with a spoon. Add the beans with a bit of cooking water. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes; add salt and pepper or, if you prefer, a little chilli pepper.
Use Fagioli all'Uccelletto as a side dish, especially for meat-based dishes o, just with a drizzle of raw Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and freshly grounded black pepper.

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