I know nothing ever tastes as good at home as it does in Italy, but I'd like to try to make a side dish with fresh sage, garlic, cannellini beans and tomatoes that I had in Tuscany. I don't have any fresh tomatoes but I do have canned San Marzano. I don't have a recipe and planned to experiment, maybe adding some red pepper flakes. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Millie -
Did you see Cristina's recipe for beans and sage (for use as a bruschetta topping) in this thread? Looks mighty tasty to me!

You know Colleen, after writing that I could not get it out of my mind and ended up eating just that for dinner. Yummy"

Millie, it sounds like you are looking for a recipe for Fagioli all'Uccelleto. Basically, heat oil, add garlic and sage (fresh), cook for a moment but don't let the garlic color, add a can or two of beans with some of the liquid they are in, cook for a few minutes until it all gets warmed through, add chopped or peeled tomatoes (canned) and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste. You can add crushed red peppers during the initial phase with the leaves and the garlic.

Beans beans beans, I LOVE THEM!

Thanks for the replies. What I made last night turned out ok, but I had drained the beans and added the tomatoes first. It's so bitter cold here that I think I'll try again tonight. Beans are such a treat.

If you have some time try using dried beans - I usually cook up a batch (soaked overnight) with a couple whole cloves of garlic, a carrot cut in quarters, s few sage leaves or a few branches of thyme.

My friends think Im stupid but I make a bunch of beans and then put them in the freezer so that when I need them they are ready and waiting.