Sounds fancy, hunh?
If you want to sound really chi-chi, it’s called “Fagioli all’ Uccelletto” in Italian.
Translated, it means beans cooked like small birds, “in the same way that birds are cooked during the hunting season” (according to Leslie Forbes in A Taste of Tuscany, her recipe and drawing notebook).
Quick chop some garlic. Then chop a handful of fresh sage.
Throw them in a pan and warm up with olive oil.
When the aromas begin to perfume the air, add white navy beans. (Um, how much? As much as you like. I don’t have time to measure ingredients. Just eyeball it and make enough for leftovers.)
Then add some chopped tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Note: I prefer using dried beans and soaking them overnight. They have an extra crunch and obviously have much less salt than their canned compadres. After you’ve soaked them, boil the beans for about 30-40 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you taste one. It should be mushy enough, but slightly “croquant”.
Tasty. Simple. Good. 