Uccelletto Beans -Tuscan White Beans in Tomato Sauce

In Italy’s region of Tuscany, the Tuscan beans, specifically cannellini beans, are very popular. Tuscan white beans make a delicious Italian side dish when cooked all’uccelletto, meaning it’s made with tomato sauce, cloves of garlic, fresh sage leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. 

The simple ingredients in this uccelletto recipe are delicious together.  By the way, the word uccelletto means little bird in Italian, and instead of little birds, beans are prepared in a similar manner as a small bird (or game) is prepared in Tuscany.

All of this being said, no worries, uccelletto beans are plant-based! This recipe is traditional and often on the menu in many trattorias of Florence and other ristorantes in Tuscany where Italians in this region are often referred to as bean eaters! (mangiafagioli)

Ingredients for Tuscan White Beans all’uccelletto!

The white beans used for fagioli all’uccelletto are cannellini beans. I’ve spent a lot of time in Italy and have never seen this dish made with any other kind of bean, although you can. Cannellini beans just happen to be plentiful in Italy and traditionally used for uccelletto beans. If you don’t have any cannellini beans, you can use great northern beans as another white bean option. They’re a great substitute. For the recipe, you can use either cook cannellini beans on the stove top or canned beans. Both options are delicious for this recipe!

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Cooked cannellini beans, plus a bit of the cooking broth. If using canned or jarred beans,  you’ll use a bit of the liquid as well.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
• Fresh sage leaves
•  Canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped with their juices (or mash them to break them up.)
• salt
• crushed red pepper flakes (or black pepper)

Let’s make Uccelletto Beans!

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and give it a stir, and then add the sage. Stir until fragrant. This doesn’t take long, just a minute or two, you just want the oil to absorb the flavors. 

2. Add the tomatoes and juice to the pan. Turn to medium heat and cook for a few minutes so the liquid reduces slightly. 

3. Add the cannellini beans along with some of their liquid to the tomato sauce. Cook a bit longer, 10-15 minutes or so, until the liquid reduces and thickens. The end result should be a fairly thick sauce.

 Taste and check for salt.

4. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and top with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. 

If this is your first time making Uccelletto beans, this is an easy recipe and a stove top bean dish you’ll be able to enjoy often. If you have any leftovers, the uccelletto beans taste even better the next day!

This recipe is flexible! if you don’t have any canned tomatoes, you can use tomato paste and add a bit of liquid. You just want the tomato flavor in this dish.

Buon Apetito!

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