Beans in the Style of Small Birds

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (470 ml) dried cannellini beans
• ½ head of garlic (head of garlic halved crosswise)
• 3 bay leaves
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 8 sage leaves
• 3 cups (710 ml) passata
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper

Method:

Soak beans in water overnight.

Drain and rinse beans. Add beans to a pot with ½ head of garlic and bay leaves and just cover with water. Cook on a low simmer for 3 hours. Drain beans and reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the liquid and ½ head of garlic.

In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Squeeze flesh of garlic into Dutch oven, add sage, and cook until fragrant. Add beans and reserved liquid. Cook on medium 10 minutes.

Add passata, salt, and pepper, and cook 20 minutes or until thickened.

Serve as a side with Pepper Beef Stew (see recipe).

Buon appetito!