Cucina Povera
Tuscan cannellini beans: the secret ingredient of cucina povera
Tuscan cannellini beans are the base of ribollita, fagioli all'uccelletto and dozens of traditional dishes. History, varieties and recipes.
The Tuscan mangiafagioli: a nickname with a history
Other Italian regions call Tuscans mangiafagioli - bean eaters. It is not an insult, it is a historical observation. Beans have been for centuries the cornerstone of the Tuscan peasant diet - the main protein source in an agricultural economy where meat was reserved for special occasions and landowners.
The paradox of the nickname is that today, in an era of food abundance, the Tuscan mangiafagioli still eat beans - not out of necessity but by choice. Ribollita, fagioli all’uccelletto, minestrone with cannellini, beans cooked in a flask - these dishes appear in the most respected Tuscan tratttorie and in country homes in the same way. The bean tradition has not survived as folklore but as living cuisine.
The nickname goes back at least to the Middle Ages - the first documented mentions of Tuscans “devoted to legumes” appear in writings of foreign chroniclers from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is possible that the habit is even older, rooted in the Etruscan and Roman era when legumes were the foundation of the popular diet of all central Italy.
Cannellini beans: varieties and growing areas
Cannellini (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are the most widespread variety of white bean in Tuscany. The name indicates the shape of the seed - a small white cylinder, about a centimetre long, with a slightly accentuated curvature at the ends. The skin is extremely thin, almost imperceptible after cooking.
Tuscany has several local varieties of cannellini, some nearly disappeared and others recovered.
The Sorana cannellino (Pescia, Lucca): perhaps the most prized variety - small, extremely delicate, with a skin so thin it is barely perceptible. The production area is very limited (a few hectares along the Pescia di Medicina stream) and the annual production is minimal. It has received Slow Food Presidio recognition.
The Pitigliano bean: in the Grosseto Maremma, a local variety with its own characteristics. More rustic than the Sorana cannellino, with a stronger flavour.
The common cannellino: the most widespread and most easily found variety, grown throughout Tuscany. Excellent for ribollita and fagioli all’uccelletto.
Dried vs fresh beans: when to use which
Beans are found in three forms: dried (to soak and cook), fresh (in the pod, available in summer), and canned (already cooked). For traditional Tuscan cooking, dried ones are almost always the best choice.
Dried beans: require soaking (at least 12 hours in cold water) and long cooking (45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety and age of the bean). The advantage is that during cooking they release their flavour into the water, which becomes the broth of the ribollita or minestrone. Well-cooked dried beans have a creaminess and flavour that canned beans cannot match.
Fresh beans in the pod: available in summer (July-September), they require no soaking and cook in 30-40 minutes. They have a more delicate and milky flavour than dried ones. Excellent for summer fagioli all’uccelletto or fresh minestrone.
Canned beans: convenient but with a less deep flavour. The canning liquid should not be used - they should be rinsed well before use. Acceptable for quick recipes, but not for ribollita or fagioli al fiasco where the quality of the cooking is fundamental.
Fagioli all’uccelletto: the simplest and best recipe
Fagioli all’uccelletto is one of the simplest dishes of Tuscan cooking - and among the most satisfying. The name probably comes from sage, which was the herb used for bird hunting in the Middle Ages.
For four people: 400 grams of cooked cannellini beans, 200 grams of canned peeled tomatoes, 3-4 garlic cloves, fresh sage leaves, abundant Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper.
In a wide pan heat the oil with the garlic (whole) and sage (whole - not chopped). When the garlic is golden add the tomato, cook for ten minutes. Add the drained beans, cover and cook over low heat for twenty to thirty minutes, stirring gently occasionally. The dish is ready when the beans have absorbed the tomato sauce and everything has an almost creamy consistency.
Serve with toasted Tuscan bread, or as a side dish with sausage.
Beans and ribollita: the indissoluble bond
Cannellini beans are the backbone of ribollita - the soup cannot be made without them. They are not simply one ingredient among others: they are the structure, the creaminess, the density that distinguishes ribollita from a vegetable soup with bread.
The fundamental technique is to blend half the cooked beans in their broth and leave the puree in the cooking liquid. This operation transforms the broth into a cream - it thickens naturally without added starches, giving ribollita that almost velvety consistency that plain vegetable broth could not achieve.
Cooking the beans for ribollita requires patience: they are cooked slowly with rosemary and garlic in abundant unsalted water (salt hardens the skin and slows cooking). They are salted only at the end. They are kept in their broth, without draining, because that broth is gold.
How to cook beans correctly
Five rules for cooking Tuscan beans properly.
Rule 1 - Long soaking: at least 12 hours, better 16-18. In cold water, in the refrigerator in summer to avoid fermentation. Discard the soaking water and rinse well.
Rule 2 - Start with cold water: always start with cold water, not boiling. Beans that go into hot water cook unevenly - the skin breaks before the inside is cooked.
Rule 3 - Low heat: never a vigorous boil, only a gentle simmer. A vigorous boil breaks the beans and clouds the water.
Rule 4 - Salt and acid only at the end: salt and tomatoes (acidic) harden the skin of beans if added before complete cooking. They are added only when the bean is already soft.
Rule 5 - Oil in the water: a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in the cooking water - an ancient Tuscan tradition that helps the beans stay whole and gives a round flavour.
Want to taste it for real?
At Ristorante Alcide you will find it on the table - made the right way, with fresh ingredients and the care of the Ancillotti family since 1849.
