Heidi Swanson's Fagioli al Fiasco
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, as I’ve featured a number of her vegetarian recipes on Kitchen 511 over the years. I tried this one for the first time last weekend, and I highly recommend it if you love beans, not to mention simple recipes that deliver on deliciousness. They basically cook themselves in the oven for 2 hours. Heidi’s Fagioli al Fiasco (Fiasco-Style Beans) from her Near and Far cookbook is everything beans should be…”tender, creamy and nearly perfect.” I served them with a crunchy fresh bread, and it was exactly the comfort meal we all needed right now.
Serves 6 (in my house), Heidi Serves 8
Ingredients
1 pound dried cranberry, cassoulet or cannellini beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
7 medium sage leaves (or thyme sprigs)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Scant 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 225F, with a rack in the bottom third.
Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large ovenproof casserole or pot.
Add the water, olive oil, garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer on the stove top.
Remove from the heat, cover, leaving a tiny crack, then transfer to the oven.
Bake for 2 hours, or until the beans are plump and tender. Along the way you want the beans to gently bubble and simmer. Check on them after a few minutes, and if you need to adjust your oven up to 250F.
Stir in the salt after 90 minutes and finish baking.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
