Baked Cannellini Beans
These are the white beans that are so popular in Tuscany. As an alternative you can use navy beans. Beans benefit from baking in the low-temperature oven, becoming creamy and soft in the process. We usually put them in the pizza oven when it has cooled down and the temperature has dropped to 300-350° F, leaving the beans in the oven for 3-4 hours with the door closed.
For 6
- 1¼ cup dried cannellini beans
- 1 head of garlic
- a handful of fresh sage leaves
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil — if you choose the fast method
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil — if you choose the slow method
I have 2 ways of cooking the beans, one is fast and one is slow, choose one depending on your schedule. The slow method is a nice and lazy one, because you can just close the oven door, walk away and live your life, retrieving the beans later in the day, or even the next morning.
Fast method:
Soak the beans overnight.
Drain the beans and place them in a baking dish. Add the garlic, sage, and enough water to come three-quarters up the sides of the baking dish. Pour in the olive oil to cover the beans. Cover the dish with foil and make a small hole in the center with the point of a knife to allow the steam to escape.
Place the casserole in a 400° F wood fired oven and cook about 45 minutes (time depends on the quality of the beans) until they are tender. The liquid will evaporate and the beans will be nice and soft. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Slow and easy method:
No need to soak the beans overnight.
Wash the beans and place them in a crock pot covering them with water (calculate about three parts of water for one part beans). Add the olive oil, garlic, sage, and seasoning. Cover the crock pot with its lid, or if it doesn’t have a lid, with foil that has a small hole in the center to allow the steam to escape. Leave in a cooled down wood fired oven (about 300-350° F) with the door closed for approximately 3-4 hours until tender.
Buon appetito from Los Angeles Ovenworks!
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