Fagioli all’ Uccelletto is Tuscany’s answer to bakes beans. In a very short time, you can turn a tin of cannellini beans into something deeply savoury and comforting. Just add tomato, garlic, sage, and olive oil and you will have a filling meal that will rival any tin of baked beans from your supermarket shelf. And no added sugar or preservatives.
Just butter a couple of doorstops of toast, top them with these beans, and grate some parmesan on top, and you’ll have a delicious lunchtime winter meal.
What Does “Fagioli all’ Uccelletto” Mean
Literally translated, Fagioli all’ Uccelletto means “beans cooked in the style of little birds.” But of course no birds appear in the dish. Instead the name comes from the cooking method, not the ingredients.
In Tuscan kitchens, cooks once prepared small birds (uccelletti) by braising them with garlic, sage, olive oil, and sometimes tomato. When beans replaced game as a cheaper protein, cooks used the same technique and seasoning. The name stayed.
Dried or Tinned Beans
Dried beans always offer better texture, deeper flavor, and more control during cooking. When soaked overnight and simmered gently, dried cannellini beans stay creamy inside while keeping their skins intact.
But let’s be honest, tinned cannellini beans are pretty good quality these days. And part of the appeal of this dish is being able to make it at a moment’s notice. You will get excellent results with tinned beans so if that is all you have time for, then go for it.
Buon appetito! 🇮🇹
Also Read
If you are looking for more classic Tuscany recipes, then you might be interested in these posts:
- Trippa all’ Aretina – a tripe recipe from the town of Arezzo, cooked with meat sauce.
- Petti di Pollo alla Fiorentina – simple dish of chicken breast, dredged in flour and pan fried in butter from Florence.
- Crostini Neri – a rustic Tuscan chicken lover pate.
- Tuscan Chicken Liver Ragu – thick parpadelle pasta ribbons in a delicious chicken lier sauce.
Or take a look at my full collection of Tuscany recipes for more Tuscany flavours.
Tuscan Baked Beans (Fagioli all’Uccelletto)
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (very finely chopped)
- salt
- 2 cloves garlic (very finely chopped)
- 3-4 large sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes ((preferably a good quality Italian brand))
- parmesan cheese (grated (optional))
Instructions
- Heat a pan, and when hot add the extra virgin oliveoil. When the oil is hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft, then add the garlic and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the cannellini beans and the chopped tomatoes and stir well, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve with some crusty bread or on toast, with some grated parmesan cheese on top.
