Fagioli All'uccelletto

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Today's Secret Recipe Club post is from Manu's Menu. Manuela is originally from Italy, so she features recipes from all over the region. This made it very hard for me to narrow down which authentic recipe I was going to try since my family is Italian as well. This bean dish is a staple in Tuscany, and since my parents are going to Italy for the first time in April I thought it would nice for them to try a native dish. Plus, we were going to be watching football and this would be a perfect appetizer.

I used canned white kidney beans instead of the bortolli beans Manuela suggested. This was mostly because I could not find bortolli beans, but also because I know Chris loves kidney beans. They worked out perfectly in this dish. An "uccelletto" translates to a small bird in English, so the seasonings in this dish are typically ones you would use to season small game (tomatoes, garlic and sage). This simple appetizer was great served on top of some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (10.5 oz.) can white kidney beans
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (7 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 4-5 sage leaves, chopped
• Toasted bread, for serving

Drain the kidney beans into a small bowl. Rinse them well. Fill the bowl with the bean liquid with an equal part of water. Mix and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the garlic and sage for a couple of minutes. Then add the crushed tomatoes and cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked beans to the sauce, stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes adding 1 or 2 ladles of the bean and water mixture.

Serve warm with some toasted crusty bread and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Source: Adapted from Manu's Menu