This authentic Tuscan Beans recipe is faithful to the Tuscan tradition. Creamy and delicious, you can use either olive oil and they become vegetarian. Or, use the famous healthy Tuscan lard as we did!
18ozcooked bean (white beans + borlotti or pinto)or use 500 g of dry beans
3mediumcarrots
4ribscelery
2wholeonion
8.5ozcrushed tomato pulpUse whole canned tomatoes and crush yourself for best results
10tbspolive oilor lard (diced) —preferably the healthy 'lardo di colonnata di Cinta Senese' :)
½cupdry white winePinot Grigio or similar
4sprigsfresh rosemary
4leavesfresh sage
4sprigsfresh thyme
2pinchesfine saltor to taste! Remember canned beans usually have salt already
1pinchblack pepperor to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
Cut the peeled carrots into a few large pieces.
Cut the celery into a few large pieces.
Mince the onions.
Dice the lard (if using in place of olive oil)
Sauté the Onion
Add the fat you've chosen (olive oil or lard) to a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Sauté the onion in the fat with half the herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme). Leave the herbs whole. Sauté the onion until it is translucent.
De-glaze the pan with the white wine. Cook until the wine has mostly evaporated.
Slow Cook the Beans
Transfer the onion with all of the de-glazed fats and juices to a dutch over (or similar pot). Bring over the whole herbs as well.
Add to the pot with the onions: the beans (with liquid), crushed tomato, the big pieces of carrot and celery and the rest of the whole sprigs of herbs. Give everything a good mix.
Bring the beans to simmer over low heat. Cover the beans and cook them for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue simmering the beans for another hour. Simmer until the beans have reached the desired creamy consistency.Discard the whole pieces of carrot and celery. Also discard the whole sprigs of herbs and sage leaves.
Video
Notes
Can't find Borlotti Beans?Use pinto or just use white beans (cannellini beans).Can I buy canned crushed tomatoes to make the sauce fresh?Traditionally, the tomato sauce Sure! However, we typically prefer to buy whole canned tomatoes, remove the seeds and any water, and crush the tomatoes ourselves. In Italy, most serious cooks know that canned crushed tomatoes or tomato pulp tend to be less sweet than whole canned tomatoes of the same brand.Isn't lard unhealthy?Normally, yes. We would typically use olive oil to sauté the onion for these beans. However, if you can find the special Tuscan lard we discuss in the article for this recipe, give it a try! It is uniquely composed of unsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6!