Tuscan Beans With Tomato and Sage: A No-Frills Dish With Deep Flavors

Name: Tuscan Beans With Tomato and Sage: A No-Frills Dish With Deep Flavors
Cook time: 2 ½ hours, plus 8 hours to soak the beans
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups dried cannellini beans; rinsed (or two 15-ounce cans; drained and rinsed) 1 tablespoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; plus more for serving 2 cloves garlic; lightly crushed 6-8 fresh sage leaves 1 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato purée Salt and black pepper; to taste Toasted crusty bread; for serving

Piatto Unico

Francine Segan | Mon, 02/09/2026 - 08:15

fagioli all'uccelletto are a Tuscan staple

Fagioli all’uccelletto is a no-frills mainstay in many Tuscan households

Difficulty Level

Low

Cooking Time

2 ½ hours, plus 8 hours to soak the beans

Cost

Low

Fagioli all’uccelletto is one of Tuscany’s most iconic comfort foods — simple yet flavorful, and steeped in centuries of culinary history. Translating to “beans in the style of a little bird,” the name of the dish is inspired by the seasonings, which include sage and garlic and were traditionally used to prepare small game birds.

This dish originated around Florence, rooted in cucina povera, the traditional peasant cooking that relies on simple and inexpensive staples — li