RECIPE: Tuscan Baked Beans

18 years ago

Ingredients:

1 lb dried cannellini beans

4 T EVOO

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 oz. Pancetta, roughly chopped

3 leaves fresh sage (if fresh not available, use 4t chopped fresh parsley).

1 Leek, finely sliced

1x14 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped with their juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. Carefully pick over the beans, discarding any stones or other particles. Place the eans in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a small saucepan, cook pancetta until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan and set aside. Heat the oil and sautee the garlice cloves and sage leaves for 3-4 minutes until garlic is tender but not brown. Remove from the heat.

3. In a large deep baking dish combine the beans with the leek and tomatoes. Stir in the oil with the garlic and sage. Add pancetta. Add enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Mix well. Cover the dish with a lid or foil, and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 3/4 hours.

4. Remove the dish from the oven, stir the beans, and season with salt and pepper. Return the beans to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 7-8 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.

**For vegetarian version, simply omit the pancetta.

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Comments (11)

san_
18 years ago
this is VERY different from any recipe i've seen before and i will look forward to trying it out--thanx, adrienne! and congratulations again on achieving your graduate degree!
ruthanna_gw
18 years ago
I am definitely going to try these. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
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woodie
18 years ago
Very nice recipe, thanks Adrienne.

Makes me think of a question..............

I don't use a lot of dried beans, but when I do I always examine them and 'pick them over'. I've never found anything to throw away, no stone or anything, and I am 56 years old and have been 'picking' for a few years!

Do we really have to pick them over?
adrienneliq
Original Author
18 years ago
LOL Woodie...I added that in as a disclaimer! LMAO!!! The recipe said to do it so I added it in...I myself have never lost a tooth on beans before ...but I guess you never know!

Good luck and let me know how you like the recipe!

Adrienne
granjan
18 years ago
I have picked over many, many beans at my restaurant for soups, and black beans that come with our huevos, and have found LOTS of stones and debris. The small packages most people buy in stores are almost always clean.(And the really fancy, expensive ones are very clean). But if you buy in bulk, trust me there are things in there. I bet most of it falls to the bottom so you won't get much in the top of the bin but if you are taking the bottom of the bin BE CAREFUL!

The bags & boxes I get my stuff in says raw agricultural product and they mean it!

This looks like a great recipe.
roselin32
18 years ago
Woodie, I too have found lots of little pebbles in the pinto beans that we like.
This does sound like a great recipe and I think I have some of the beans. Great dish for the 4th.
Thanx.
RL`
granjan
18 years ago
Loved the beans. Tucked them in the oven while making my pies and they were great. I used gigantes, DH's favorite. And I did add a toasted bread crumb topping. Much better than sweet American baked beans, 4th of July or not!
ruthanna_gw
18 years ago
Reporting in on the Tuscan Baked Beans

We made them on Saturday and served them with a grilled turkey breast half and tomatoes stuffed with spinach and topped with parmesan cheese.

I didn't have pancetta so used triple smoked bacon from the butcher shop. Also didn't have fresh sage but added about a Tbs. of chopped fresh basil. Otherwise, I followed the directions as posted. They were absolutely delicious and I would definitely make them again.

We mixed the leftovers with some tuna, basalmic vinegar, sliced purple olives and olive oil for a lunch salad today.

Thanks, Adrienne.
adrienneliq
Original Author
18 years ago
Glad you enjoyed! I'm thinking of making my leftovers into a "chili" with some cubed chicken breast, some more tomatoes, and chicken broth...should be good.
fearlessem
16 years ago
Thanks for this post Adrienne -- they sound fabulous! Will make them soon and report back!

Emily
homesforsale
16 years ago
I made them too!

I used mixed dried beans... though.. so they took twice the time:) And added some ail confit that I made this week and lots of chopped Rosemary..Bacon as I didn't have Pancetta on hand...I usually keep some frozen..but had none:(

Keepers for me..Glad I have leftovers..they will be my main meal Friday night.
I love beans.

And I am reading A Thousand Days in Tuscany~ Thus the final inspiration..Thanks!

Parmesan would be good w/:)