Fagioli all’uccelletto Italian Baked Beans

Fagioli all’uccelletto are essentially Italian baked beans, flavoured with sage and garlic, and they are a perfect side or even lunch recipe!

Italian Baked Beans

This recipe is a relative newbie in my cooking lineup and I want to know why I only recently discovered it.

Being British baked beans from a tin was as much part of growing up as any other foodstuff. I've even got a masala baked beans on toast recipe that gives an iconic dish a bit of an Indian vibe!

Fagioli all’uccelletto is a stupidly simple approach to baked beans, and *whisper mode on* I don't bake them!

The simplicity also means they are healthier than sugar-laden beans from a tin. Not that I am particularly bothered by that sort of stuff.

We have just 7 ingredients, and 3 of them are salt, pepper and oil. But you will not believe the amount of flavour this recipe delivers.

If you like this recipe, you must try my pork chop casserole, which mirrors many of the flavours found in these baked beans!

Frequently Asked Questions.

Can I make Fagioli all’uccelletto with tinned or canned beans?

Yes! In fact, that is what I usually use because it makes this recipe really convenient to throw together.

If I use dried beans, how many do I need?

As a rough rule of thumb, dried beans double in weight and volume when cooked. So to make the same-sized recipe as I do, soak 125g or ¾ of a cup of beans and then cook them.

What is tomato Passata?

Depending on where you are in the world, what you have access to in terms of tomatoes varies. Passata is classically pureed “uncooked” sieved tomatoes. It is available and labelled as passata in much of Europe.

If you are in the US or Canada, you will likely find that the cooked version is called tomato puree. Puree is typically a tomato concentrate in Europe.

At a push, you can make passata from tinned tomatoes by passing them through a sieve to get rid of the seeds.

Do I need to use fresh sage?

Fresh is definitely better, but you can use dried sage at a push. I would use half a teaspoon of dried sage to sub for the 6 leaves that this recipe calls for.

If sage isn't your thing, these are equally good made with basil. In fact, I use the sauce from these as a base for my stuffed pasta shells recipe.

Serving Suggestions.

This Italian-style baked beans recipe is so incredibly versatile. I've cooked it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and even as a drunken snack!

In the pictures, they are served with a simple pork loin steak because the sage in the recipe plays really well with pork; it would work just as well with my pork belly strips. It is also pictured below with my chicken Milanese recipe for similar reasons.

I've also served them alongside my very British cheese and potato pie!

For breakfast, I have served it alongside both my Irish Boxty recipe and as part of a fry-up with my British bangers recipe.

As for lunch or a snack, just toast off some bread and boom, a British classic... Beans on toast, baby, and you could even go fancy and make your own ciabatta!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 15cm or 6" saucepan with a lid.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.