Cannellini Beans with Garlic & Sage

Celebrate National Bean Day with one of our favorites, Cannellini Beans! Part of the legume family & also known as the Italian Kidney bean, it was cultivated in Argentina by Italian immigrants with the surname Cannellini, (hence the name). The versatile bean made its’ way back to Italy, where it is grown commercially & a staple ingredient in minestrone, pasta & soup dishes.  High in protein, fiber & low in fat, we tweaked Lori De Mori’s recipe for a healthy, hearty & delicious cold weather dish.

Makes approx. 6 cups

Easy Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried cannellini-white kidney beans

  • 4 cups room temperature water

  • 4 cups of organic chicken broth

  • 1 cup of white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio

  • ½ cup of cubed pancetta (unsmoked pork) optional

  • 2 tablespoons Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil + extra 2 tablespoons for drizzling

  • 1 large head of garlic, unpeeled, top 1/2 inch cut off to expose cloves

  • 1 large fresh sage sprig

  • 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried bay leaf

  • ¼ teaspoon fresh whole black peppercorns

  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Simple Directions

  1. Place beans in large bowl, fill with 6 cups of cold water & soak overnight.

  2. Drain beans & place in large pot. Add 4 cups water, 4 cups of chicken broth with 2 tablespoons olive oil, pancetta cubes, head of garlic, sage sprig, bay leaf & black peppercorns.

  3. Cover & heat over medium-high heat until mixture simmers.

  4. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer uncovered 1 ½ hours, stir occasionally.

  5. Add 1 cup of wine to cover the beans, (the wine’s acid prevents the beans from becoming too soft)

  6. Mix 1 teaspoon coarse salt, continue to simmer until beans are tender, approx.45-60 minutes.

  7. Remove from heat & cool beans in liquid 1 hour.

  8. Transfer beans to serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Preserve bean cooking liquid if desired, discard garlic, sage bay leaf & peppercorns.

  9. Season beans to taste with pepper & sea salt.

  10. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, serve & enjoy!

  11. N.B. As beans can take a long time to cook on the stove top, some home chefs recommend cooking them covered in the oven at 325°F to help cook faster.

 

Tried, Tasted & True! At Villa Graziella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature. While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Graziella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think.

We welcome your comments & feedback!
Grazie da Team VILLA GRAZIELLA
clientservice@villagraziellaorganic.com

 

Amy WrightComment