Tuscan Stewed Beans

                    Tuscan Stewed Beans

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (56 mL) extra virgin olive oil

▢1 medium yellow onion, chopped

▢2 medium or large carrots, peeled and finely chopped

▢2 celery ribs, diced

▢4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

▢½ tsp red pepper flakes

▢1/4 cup (4g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, minced

▢1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

▢4 1/2 tablespoons (67g) tomato paste (in a tube, not a can)*

▢¾ cup (180 mL) dry white wine**

▢1 28-ounce (800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

▢1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

▢Freshly cracked black pepper

▢1 bay leaf

▢1 1/2 cups (360 mL) vegetable broth, plus more as desired

▢2 (15-ounce/425g) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

▢½ cup (8g) fresh basil, slivered***

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

 Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrot, celery, and garlic, with another pinch of salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

 Add the red pepper flakes, parsley, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring almost continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's a bit darker in color.

Pour the white wine in and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Allow wine to simmer rapidly for 3 minutes, or until mostly evaporated and it no longer smells like wine, stirring often.

Add tomatoes along with their juices, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and several cracks of black pepper. Cook at a rapid simmer, stirring fairly often, until the tomatoes are fully broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 13 minutes.

Add the veggie broth and 2 cans of beans. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and maintain a decent simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while.