A rustic Tuscan dish: white beans in tomato sauce combined with spicy salamella and flavored with wild fennel. Tasty, hearty and perfect for those who love the bold flavors of traditional cured meats.
Finely chop the shallot.
Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan and sauté the chopped shallot together with a whole garlic clove or one cut in half and degermed.
When the shallot has softened, add the spicy salamella, removed from its casing and cut into pieces; let it brown for a few minutes.
Drain and thoroughly rinse the canned white beans, then add them to the saucepan together with a spoonful of tomato paste and the tomato purée. Stir and let flavor for a few minutes.
Pour just over half of the vegetable stock over the beans, add the bay leaves and season with salt.
Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, making sure the sauce does not dry out too much and adding more stock if necessary.
At the end of cooking, flavor with wild fennel to taste and serve hot.
Saucepan
Strainer or colander
Wooden spoon
Knife and cutting board
More stock can be added during cooking to achieve a creamier consistency. Excellent with toasted bread crostini.
Italia, Toscana
