Beans are the world's best-known legumes. They are native to Latin America. There are many varieties of beans, all of which are rich in protein and minerals, but also in fibre and vitamins and are low in fat. Beans are a good alternative to meat consumption. They are therefore excellent for dietary regimes.
Let us now turn to recipes. Beans are very versatile and can be prepared in many ways, soups, casseroles, soups, meatballs and many more.
Baked Beans
Ingredients for fagioli all'uccelletto
grams 600 cannellini beans
grams 500 chopped peeled tomatoes
4 sage leaves
2 cloves of garlic
4 black peppercorns
a teaspoon of sugar
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of the fagioli all'uccelletto
Boil the beans in water with 2 sage leaves and the black peppercorns. Salt as soon as they are cooked.
Fry the finely chopped garlic and 2 sage leaves in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as the garlic is golden, add the beans drained from the water and the chopped tomato pulp. Add a teaspoon of sugar and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve hot.
Beans with pork rinds
Ingredients for beans with pork rinds
grams 600 fresh beans
250 grams pork rinds
one pork bone
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
grams 70 diced smoked bacon
400 g peeled tomatoes, chopped
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of beans with pork rinds
Pork rinds are the skin of the pig, cleaned, flamed to remove any bristles and made into fairly small strips. Boil the beans in plenty of water with the pork rind. In a pan, boil the pork rinds covered with water.
Meanwhile, fry the chopped onion in plenty of olive oil in a frying pan, add the smoked bacon, finely chopped garlic clove and parsley. As soon as the onion is golden brown, add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Now add the beans, pork rinds and, with the lid on, finish cooking for another 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Pasta and beans
Ingredients for the pasta and beans
250 grams fresh borlotti beans
grams 100 of prosciutto
grams 60 of lard
grams 300 of tomato puree
half an onion
1 small carrot
half a stalk of celery
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of chopped rosemary
2 bay leaves
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
400 grams of short pasta to taste
Preparing the pasta and beans
Boil the beans in plenty of water for about an hour and a half, adding two bay leaves to the water. Set the cooking water of the beans aside.
Finely chop the garlic, onion, carrot and celery rib. Cut the ham and bacon into strips. Fry the garlic, onion, carrot and celery rib in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as they are golden, add the ham and lard and cook for a couple of minutes.
Now add the beans removed from the water, together with a glass of the bean cooking water. Add the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes. For a creamier consistency of the soup at this point remove a third of the mixture and with an immersion blender blend everything and set aside.
Now add the pasta and two or three glasses of cooking water from the beans. As soon as the pasta is cooked al dente, add the mixed mixture and the finely chopped rosemary. Cook for another minute and serve hot with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
Beans a la mugnaia
Needed for the mugnaia beans
300 grams cannellini beans already boiled
grams 60 finely chopped tuna
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
one salted anchovy
1 clove of garlic, chopped
3 mint leaves, chopped
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of the mugnaia beans
In a bowl, combine the tuna, boiled eggs, finely chopped anchovy, clove of garlic and mint leaves. Season everything with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper and pour this mixture over the already boiled beans.
This is an excellent appetiser served cold.
Baked cannellini beans
Needed for cannellini beans in the oven
grams 600 cannellini beans already boiled
grams 120 of pork rind
1 small onion
grams 200 chopped peeled tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary
a few sage leaves
salt, pepper and olive oil to taste
Preparing cannellini beans in the oven
Fry the pork rind cut into small strips and the finely chopped onion and boiled beans in a pan in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic clove, which must be removed when cooked.
Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the chopped tomato puree, finely chopped sage and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Beans and sausages
Ingredients for beans and sausages
8 sausages
800 grams of boiled borlotti beans
half an onion, finely chopped
grams 400 chopped peeled tomatoes
a sprig of rosemary
half a glass of red wine
salt, pepper and olive oil to taste
Preparation of beans and sausages
Fry the chopped onion in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as it is golden brown, add the sausages cut in half and fry slowly for a few minutes, turning often. Add the red wine and let it evaporate completely.
Cook the sausages for about 30 minutes with the chopped peeled tomatoes. After this time add the boiled beans, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
Polenta and beans
Ingredients for polenta and beans
300 grams of borlotti beans
1 carrot
half an onion
1 sprig rosemary
grams 400 of tomato puree
grams 500 of corn flour
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preparing polenta and beans
Prepare the vegetables by finely chopping the carrot and onion and also the rosemary sprig. Fry the vegetables and rosemary in a fairly large saucepan with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
When they are golden brown, add the tomato puree. Let it cook for 5 minutes and then add the boiled borlotti beans. Simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper.
In the meantime, prepare the polenta as indicated on the cornflour packet and once ready, divide the polenta among the plates and cover with the bean sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
Bean Meatballs
Needed for the bean meatballs
600 grams of boiled cannellini beans
2 eggs
grams 60 of grated Parmesan cheese
a teaspoon of parsley
3 basil leaves
grams 100 of breadcrumbs
a pinch of nutmeg
breadcrumbs, oil for frying, salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of bean balls
Blend the beans to a puree, to this add an egg, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, chopped basil leaves, breadcrumbs (soaked and then squeezed), a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Make the mixture firm enough with the breadcrumbs to form meatballs.
Bring the frying oil to temperature in a frying pan and after dipping the meatballs in the beaten egg and breadcrumbs, fry until golden brown. Dip the meatballs in blotting paper to remove excess oil.
Triestine JOTA Soup
What you need for Jota triestina soup
grams 600 of boiled beans
grams 100 of bacon
half onion, finely chopped
grams 350 of sauerkraut
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of flour
salt, pepper and olive oil to taste
30 grams of butter
Preparation of the Trieste JOTA
Brown the sauerkraut in butter over a low heat. In a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil, brown the diced bacon and chopped onion and garlic. Add the two tablespoons of flour and adjust the salt.
Stir well to mix everything together. Now add the chopped bacon to the sauerkraut and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Now add the beans and simmer for 40 minutes with the lid on, adding a little water if it tends to shrink too much. Serve hot with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.
