Say Goodbye To Sugary Baked Beans: With One Pan And A Few Ingredients, This Flavorful Side Dish Is Done In About 15 Minutes

Whether they're served at a summer barbecue or on a cold winter day, slow-cooked baked beans are irresistible to lovers of sweet, savory, rib-sticking side dishes. On the flip side, some diners can't get down with the heavy dose of brown sugar and molasses used in many recipes. If you've always found classic baked beans to be too sugary, it's time to trade them for a fast, flavorful, one-pan recipe for white beans cooked in tomato sauce.

Beans in tomato sauce are popular in Tuscany, Italy, where they're known as fagioli all'uccelletto. While some recipes cook the beans for upwards of half an hour, creator @cookingitalianwithjoe shared a TikTok showing how to make this delectable dish in around 15 minutes. The sauce starts with garlic sauteed in plenty of olive oil; canned whole tomatoes; and black pepper. A few sage leaves and a can of white beans go in next, then the mixture simmers briefly to marry the flavors. It's finished with more sage leaves before serving.

With the aromatic garlic and sage, creamy beans, and juicy, sweet, acidic tomatoes all in balance, fagioli all'uccelletto delivers just as much flavor and comforting richness as classic baked beans, without a cloying sweetness. And since it doesn't include meat, this Italian dish rests more lightly on the stomach and fits into plant-based diets, unlike your typical beans baked with bacon. This is one bean recipe that's bound to be a hit with any crowd, and you can serve it and modify it in so many ways.

It's hard to mess up white beans in tomato sauce, but you can use a few tips to make this simple dish shine. The TikTok recipe, as well as several others, call for canned San Marzano tomatoes. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) San Marzanos are lauded for their extra-sweet flavor, but it's the texture of the flesh that makes them perfect for fagioli all'uccelletto. Since they contain less water than other tomatoes, sauces made with San Marzanos turn out silky and rich, not watery — even if they don't simmer for long. For a dish that only cooks for 15 minutes, these tomatoes can make all the difference.

You can also enliven the taste of fagioli all'uccelletto with extra ingredients. If you miss the smoky, meaty undertone of classic baked beans, toss in some Italian sausage or chopped pancetta. Sprinkling on crushed red pepper flakes during cooking or as a garnish would add a nice kick for spicy food fans. Or, take inspiration from our Italian-style white bean and tomato skillet, which is decked out with roasted red peppers, spinach, and Parmesan.

In Tuscany, fagioli all'uccelletto is traditionally served as a side for meat dishes, though the beans are also fantastic mixed with rice or noodles; scooped onto crusty bread; or paired with fish for a light summer dinner. You could even turn leftovers into a hearty soup by adding stock, pasta, and perhaps some extra veggies.

@cookingitalianwithjoe

Indulge in the Authentic Italian Flavors 🇮🇹🍝 Join me, @CookingItalianWithJoe, as we savor every bite of this mouthwatering Tuscan Fagioli all'Uccelletto! 🍅🌿 Unleash your inner chef with this easy-to-follow tutorial on how to make the perfect Tuscan Fagioli all'Uccelletto at home. 😋👨‍🍳🔥 Ingredients * 30 oz. of Cannellini Beans Canned * 1 lb. of San Marzano Tomatoes Peeled * 5 Tablespoons Of Vito's and Joe's Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil * 4 Cloves of Garlic Roughly Chopped (Not Minced) * 5 Whole Leaves of Sage *  ½ teaspoons of Sea Salt * ½ teaspoons of Black Pepper How to Prepare 1. In a large Sauté pan, put your 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil and turn the stove on to a low to medium heat.  2. After your Olive Oil is warm, put in your roughly chopped 4 cloves of Garlic. And cook them until they are lightly brown, you are not frying them, you are sautéing them. 3. Slowly add the 1 lb. of San Marzano Tomatoes and the ½ teaspoon's of Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to fall apart.  4. Then add 5 whole leaves of sage and stir and let cook for about one minute.  5. Now Add the Cannellini Beans, stir and let cook for about 15 minutes and Stir every 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 6. Then Serve  7. Add 2 or 3 extra leaves of sage for more flavor. (optional)

♬ original sound – Cooking Italian With Joe – Cooking Italian With Joe Borio