Borlotti Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil

By Dixie8686

Recipes & Menus | recipes

Borlotti Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil
Stewed fresh shell beans, fragrant with sage and garlic, can launch 100 summer dishes, from pasta and soups to salads and crostini. But first, celebrate this pot of beans as an exalted dish in its own right. Use fresh, frozen, or dried borlotti beans, a.k.a. cranberry beans. Once cooked, let them cool in the pot on the counter, or chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

6 servings

Recipe by The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.">The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.

Photograph by David Loftus

August 2012

Ingredients

• 4 pounds fresh borlotti beans (cranberry beans), shelled, or 2 lb. frozen or dried (soaked overnight if dried)
• 3 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 10 large unpeeled garlic cloves
• 8 large (or 16 small) fresh sage leaves
• 3/4 cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

Combine beans, tomatoes, garlic, sage, and 3/4 cup oil in a medium pot. Add cold water to cover by 1" (about 2 1/2 cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and adding water by 1/4-cupfuls as needed to keep beans submerged, until tender, 35–45 minutes for fresh or frozen and up to 1 1/2 hours for dried. Skim any foam from the surface. Season with salt, pepper, and more oil, if desired. DO AHEAD Beans can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool in cooking liquid; cover and chill. Return to room temperature before serving.

Serve beans warm or at room temperature.

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