Ten Minute Italian Cannellini Beans with Sage and Garlic
The Italian side dish that goes with everything from chicken to pork to beef. You'll find cannellini beans with sage in restaurants all over Tuscany especially! Canned cannellini beans and the aquafaba liquid inside team up with garlic and fresh sage to make a rustic vegetable dish perfect for any menu.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 32 oz cannellini beans from 2 cans
- ¼ cup olive oil plus ⅛ cup
- 8 fresh sage leaves or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 head garlic
- Parmesan cheese shaved or thinly sliced into shards
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Open both cans of cannellini beans. Drain one in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, reserving the aquafaba (milky liquid). Drain the other can completely and rinse the beans.
- On a wooden cutting board, press your palm on the side of the knife blade to firmly "whack" the garlic cloves to remove the skin. Peel the cloves. Slice the garlic very thinly. You can also use a mandoline but be very careful!
- Remove the leaves from the stems on the sage. Open any curled leaves and press flat
- Heat olive oil over medium skillet on low until small bubbles form. Add garlic and sage and "fry" until garlic is golden brown and sage darkens.Remove the skillet from the heat.
- To the skillet, add the beans, ½ of the aquafaba to start and toss gently to combine the oil, garlic and sage. Taste and add more aquafaba as desired.Top with thin shards of parmesan cheese, more small sage leaves and healthy amounts of kosher salt and pepper.
Notes
- Crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper can be added for spicy flavor.
