This Tuscan Bean Salad recipe is in “Changing The Game.” It will always remind me to appreciate all that we have and I’ve decided to share it on this 20th anniversary of those horrible terror attacks on our country and American citizens. I’m hopeful you can use it to bring your family, friends and neighbors together to celebrate those you love and the loved ones you miss.
From “Changing The Game”…
Craig’s Tuscan Bean Salad
Sue and I were celebrating our birthdays, which are a week apart (I won’t tell you who’s older), at a little Italian restaurant she found in lower Manhattan during early September 2001. We shared a salad very similar to this one as an appetizer and immediately thought, “We need to do this at home!” We have been able to duplicate the flavor profile exactly and the recipe as a whole, except for one type of bean we were not able to identify. Not kidding. Our only real dilemma with this recipe is that we cannot decide if it’s an appetizer, main course, or side dish, so try it any way you wish. We are proud to be sharing it with you because that restaurant is sadly no longer there. We hope you enjoy this recipe and please, “Never forget.”
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound Sweet Italian Sausage (page 113 in “Changing The Game”) or store-bought Italian sausage, removed from casings and chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary
- 2 tablespoons pignolis (pine nuts)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (FGBP)
- 2 cans cannellini beans 15 ounce size
- 1 can red kidney beans 15 ounce size
- 1 can black beans 15 ounce size
- 1 can chickpeas
- Grated Romano cheese optional and for when serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wrap the garlic cloves in a double layer of aluminum foil or place in a garlic roaster with a few drops of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and hint of FGBP. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then check to see if they have browned and softened. If so, remove them and set aside. Meanwhile, crack the fennel seeds and boil in the water for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the flavored water. Discard the seeds.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or frying pan over medium heat and mash the roasted garlic into the oil. After 2 minutes, add the sausage, rosemary, and pignolis and cook for about two minutes to brown on all sides. Stir to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the herbs and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Add the beans and most of their juices, followed by the fennel-flavored water. You can rinse the bottom of the cans with a little extra water and then add that mixture to the pan, if desired, to aid with flavor. Cook until the beans are tender and the mixture reduces to a viscous consistency, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately with FGBP and grated Romano cheese if desired.
Notes
Suggested sides: Can be served on its own or over finely chopped fresh kale.
Suggested wine pairings: Chianti Classico, Primitivo, Merlot, Zinfandel
