"People say, and it's true, that beans are the meat of the poor man," wrote Artusi a bit more than a century ago. And indeed they were, but they are also much more: Versatile, tasty, and an excellent, healthy source of protein. In summer it's hard to beat a refreshingly cool plate of cranberry beans, seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some finely sliced onion (add tuna to make a meal of them), but they also shine in winter, when they are the backbone of many hearty dishes. Some favorites:
Pasta e fagioli, also known as pasta fazool (and many other variations on the spelling) is a universal comfort soup that almost everyone has come up with, and there are a tremendous number of local variations on the theme in Italy. This particular one is Tuscan.
Fagiuoli all'uccelletto, beans with a light tomato sauce, are one of the most classic Tuscan dishes, and are a common accompaniment to braised dishes or stews in the winter months. Served with Italian link sausages they also make a perfect winter main course. In short, they're comfort
food.
This is the Tuscan equivalent of Boston Baked Beans, beans put in a wine flask and slipped into the embers in the fireplace to cook slowly over a period of many hours. Quite nice, and very easy to do if you have a fireplace. They're wonderful in winter with grilled meats.
This beany risotto, an Italian equivalent of rice and beans, resembles risotto rustě but has tomato and pancetta added. If you cannot find borlotti, which are known as Cranberry Beans in the US (they're medium sized, and light tan with abundant brown spots), use kidney beans or Mexican black beans, which look very different but are similar in flavor.
One usually encounters
sogliola alla mugnaia (also known as Sole Meuničre), but millers eat other things as well. This refreshing summer salad is from the Marche.
Steak & beans, a simple, traditional Piemontese recipe.
Beans in a Meatless Sauce: This is a classic recipe of the Veneto, and towards Venice proper they simply call it
fasoi in salsa. As recipes go it's easy, but the beans do have to be first rate. Serve them with any pan-fried or grilled meat or fish, and if you have leftover beans rejoice, because they're even better reheated the next day.
This is from Sardegna. The wild fennel that flavors the beans is much more aromatic than domestic fennel, and one uses the fronds as there is no bulb.
Polenta and beans will work nicely as an antipasto, and will also go quite well with a roast or a stew, especially in winter.
Fagiolata is a Piemontese specialty; the name really doesn't translate, other than as "Beans," which doesn't quite get the idea across because it's richer than that, along the lines of pork & beans. Served with polenta, it will make a tasty one-course meal.
