Fagioli all’Uccelletta / White Beans with Sage, Garlic and Tomatoes

Serves 4:

• 250 g of dry cannellini beans
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 5-6 fresh sage leaves
• a tin of tomatoes (you can use about 5 fresh ripe tomatoes when in season)
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• a pinch of sugar if needed
• salt
• pepper

Soak the beans in cold water overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.

Drain and rinse the beans. 

Put the beans in a heavy bottomed pan, cover with water, which should come about 3-4 cm above the beans, add some salt and cook gently for about 20 minutes. Drain.

In a separate pan heat the olive oil on a medium heat, add the garlic cloves along with the sage leaves. 

Once the garlic starts to turn golden in colour add the drained beans to the pan, and after a few minutes the tomatoes. Season with some salt, pepper and add the sugar if needed.

Cook everything slowly until the beans turn soft.

Taste and season again before serving.