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Authentic Tuscan Beans Recipe

This recipe for Tuscan beans quickly became a household favorite after our European vacation! Some links in this article are affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

I just got back from ten days in Italy. Trust me, there’s lots to say about the trip, particularly our inability to get anywhere without taking the scenic route, but the best part of it was how much we learned.

Not only can I now tell a Renaissance door from a Gothic door (seriously – and I’m sorta proud of it), but I learned tons and tons about Italian wine, among other things. In fact, I may not ever again drink anything but Italian wine now.

I’m convinced now that I absolutely must learn to make gelato, because of course we tried it at every place we possibly could.

As part of our stay, we also had a cooking class and a dinner cooked for us. They were simply amazing.

I have so many new dishes to try out now, and I can’t wait to begin doing so. Then again, that may be why I replicated two of them while we were still in Italy.

My favorite recipes I learned in Italy:

This afternoon, I made one of them again in the hopes that the wee ones would love them as much as I did. Little Miss enjoys the Tuscan beans, but unfortunately Mister Man didn’t like the texture so much.

I’ll still be making them regularly.

Overhead of a bowl of Tuscan Beans.

How to Make Tuscan Beans

Heat a wide, shallow pan on the stove on medium heat. Once it’s hot (don’t use a nonstick pan), add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and let it come to temperature – you want enough so the onions don’t stick but don’t want to cover the whole bottom of the pan.

Exact measurements aren’t critical, but I use about a tablespoon and that’s perfect. Add the onion and sage, and saute until it has just softened and turned translucent but before it starts to brown.

Sauteeing onions and sage in an enameled cast iron pan.

Add the cannelloni beans. Our instructor added the liquid in the cans, too, but I find that makes this too salty for me.

I’d use maybe half the liquid or maybe a little less, then add another half can of water. Add the remaining olive oil, along with the pepper.

If you are using the canned beans, hold off on the salt for now. If not, add a bit of salt, as well.

Mince your garlic, and add this, as well. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook down.

Closeup of canned cannelloni beans.

You want to keep cooking until it’s become thicker, forty-five minutes or so. This can hold on the stove for a long time, just add a little water if it gets too dry.

Before you serve, fish out the sage leaves. Taste it one last time to check to see if you need to add any more salt or pepper. Drizzle a bit of extra olive oil over the beans just before serving.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite authentic cuisine? Have you ever made Tuscan beans?

I’ve made these both ways. The woman teaching the class made them with canned beans. I tried them first with canned beans and this time with dried beans.

I’ll be honest. The canned beans taste better and have a – shockingly – better mouth feel.

If you want to use dried beans, you will want 3/4 cup of dried beans.

Put them in a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. Let the beans sit for an hour and a half, then pull out 2 cups of water in a measuring cup and save it for later.

Drain the beans from the rest of the water, then follow the instructions in the recipe. You’ll add the water you set aside to the beans at the step where I add the beans in the can and their “juice.”

Overhead of a bowl of Tuscan Beans.

Tuscan Beans

Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

These delicious authentic Tuscan beans have fantastic depth of flavor and use few ingredients, perfect for the novice cook. You can also make these with dried beans to save yourself more money, but this is the fast way to do it!

Ingredients

  • 2 cans cannelloni beans (white northern beans)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 small bunch of sage leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a pan on the stove on medium heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion and sage, and saute until just softened and translucent.
  2. Add cannelloni beans and half the can liquid, then add half a can of water. Add remaining olive oil, along with pepper. Mince garlic and add.
  3. Bring to a simmer and let it cook down for about 45 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  4. Before serving, fish out sage leaves. Add salt or pepper, as needed. Drizzle a bit of extra olive oil over beans just before serving.

Notes

This holds on the stove well as a bare simmer, meaning you can make it early in your dinner prep. If it gets a little dry, just add a quarter cup water and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 66mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 7gSugar: 1gProtein: 10g

This site uses an outside source to provide nutrition as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate the recipe above and save it on Pinterest so you can find it to make again and again. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think about it, too!

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  1. lowandslow says:

    I doubt Nonna opened a can of beans.

    • Michelle says:

      You might be surprised at what’s there now. This was exactly as the not quite spring chicken Italians taught the class. But using dried beans would absolutely work if you prefer that.

  2. […] them whenever I can. We took a cooking class during our Italy sojourn, and the memory of those Tuscan beans sticks with […]

  3. Michelle says:

    Hy – It is so good. I just finished off the last of it last night. Ha! That's what happens when I tuck it away in the back of the fridge; I actually get to eat it 😉

    Joanna – We just had one cooking class, but it was incredible. I want to go back and spend a week or two cooking there. I'm with you on that being paradise!

    Heather – Yay! Glad I finally made something you can eat. I hope you enjoy them. Missed you, too.

    Tara – It's a great side dish, and I love how you can make it and just let it sit so you don't have to fuss while making another course.

    Teresa – I think I fully qualify as a gelato expert now. Thank goodness for all those hills and all that walking, right? 😉

    Pat – This was an incredible experience, and I highly recommend the place we stayed, too. We did this with two couple friends and the owners of the villa arranged some outings just for us, so we weren't mixed in with the hoi palloi 😉

  4. Pat says:

    What fun- a trip to Italy! I've wanted to go there again for a long time–rent a villa in Tuscany. This dish sounds delectable. Did you go on a tour or do your own thing?

  5. tiarastantrums says:

    LOVE Italy so much and yes – you can' stop by any gelato shop w/o a sample!

  6. Tara R. says:

    My stomach is already growling. This sounds wonderful.

  7. Heather E says:

    THIS is PERFECT for me! Good protein and all things I can eat! I am so stoked to try them! Welcome back, I have missed you!

  8. Joanna Jenkins says:

    I'm officially jealous 🙂 My dream is to go to Italy for cooking classes. That is my idea of paradise.

    This recipe looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing it. I'll be giving it a try soon.

    Welcome home! jj

  9. Hyacynth says:

    Looks so good, Michelle! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Looking forward to seeing you while we cook during the next few weeks.

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