Fagioli al Forno -Italian Baked Beans – is a popular Northern Italian Dish. In honor of my mamma who really loved Pasta Fagioli, we decided to add pasta to the baked beans recipe.
Fagioli al Forno – Italian Baked Beans with Pasta
Beans have always been a popular peasant food, but, during the Renaissance, Catherine de Medici wanted to refine Italian cuisine, and beans fell out of favor with the nobility and the sophisticated city dwellers. The poor couldn’t be particular — they still made their bean dishes.
It wasn’t long before before beans became popular again because when something tastes good and is good for you it comes back into vogue. In Tuscany, beans are such a staple in the regional cuisine that the Tuscans have the nickname of ” beaneaters”, although beans are eaten all over Italy.
Fagioli al Forno – Italian Baked Beans with Pasta
Beans can be made into any number of delicious and nutritious soups and stews, or served as a basis of a hearty salad such as tonno e fagioli (tuna and beans). One very popular Tuscan dish is fagioli all’uccelletto (beans cooked like little birds). The recipe consists of cooking cannellini beans then combining them with chopped garlic, fresh sage leaves and tomatoes and simmered for about 15 minutes, until tender and fragrant. The dish is sometimes served with coarse country sausage.
Pasta al Forno – Italian Baked Beans with Pasta
For this Italian baked beans recipe we opted for canned beans. We used one can cannellini and one can pinto beans. You can also make this into a vegetarian recipe by just omitting the sausage. . . it will still taste good but not as great as with the smoked meat. The beans are flavored by fresh sage leaves, which is very popular in Italy, garlic, onion and thyme. For the smoked meat we used kielbasa since we already had it, but you can use any smoked meat you like.
Simple ingredients and ordinary seasonings combine to make some of the most delicious dishes. The Italians have a saying: La fame è il miglior cuoco che ci sia { Hunger is (makes) the best cook}.
Alla prossima.
Fagioli al Forno - Italian Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cans 15 oz. cannellini beans *
- 1 can 14 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 oz. smoked sausage cut in half and then into 1/4" half moons**
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz. dry pasta cooked according to package directions to just below al dente - it will continue to cook in the baked beans.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a Dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and sage leaves for 3-4 minutes until garlic is tender but not brown. Add the onions with the sprig of thyme. Continue to saute for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the smoked sausage and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the fire roasted tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Pour in the beans with its juice and add the red pepper flakes.
- Mix in the pasta and cover the dish with a lid or foil, and place in the center of the heated oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven, stir the beans, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the beans to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 7 - 8 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- * We used one can of cannellini and one can of pinto beans.
- ** We used kielbasa just because we already had it.
Nutrition
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Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
This sounds amazing! We’re big fans of pasta fagioli in this family, so I bet we’d love these baked beans!
Emily Leary says
This looks amazing and combines some of my favourite things! I’d absolutely love to try it. Adding to my meal plan for this week.
Tina says
What a great, hearty meal. I always felt like sausage and beans go together, your version looks and sounds amazing. Ah, the benefits of growing up in an Italian home. Thanks for this recipe!
Jagruti says
We love pasta in our house and I am loving the flavours that you included! I will have to try it out!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I’ve done my fair share of bacon with beans, but sausage with beans sounds great! This looks like total comfort food – perfect for this fall weather.
Jenni LeBaron says
These seriously look so good! I love a good pot of baked beans, but you’ve really elevated the flavor with these Italian seasonings, tomatoes, and smoked sausage.
Mirlene says
This recipe looks so good. I love comfort food and these baked beans are exactly just that – pure comfort! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
This is the type of cold weather comfort food that I crave in fall and winter. Looking forward to trying this soon!
Valerie says
I do enjoy pasta fagioli from time to time. This sounds like a tasty variation that would be a warming and hearty comfort food for cooler fall weather.
Veena Azmanov says
I cannot wait to try this baked beans, Italian style. I love chorizo sausages so I know this would be really a huge hit in our home. My Aadi would enjoy this very much.
Elaine Benoit says
This baked beans recipe looks scrumptious! I usually sprint away from baked beans (Boston) since I find them too sweet! I love all the flavors you’re using and you really can’t beat sausages and pasta added to this dish!
Jyothi (Jo) says
Love baked beans, love pasta, love all things Italian. How delicious and comforting is that baked beans. I bet this would be favorite fall dinner any day.
Veena Azmanov says
This is pure comfort food. I love how simple and easy this is. I love having beans in winter months because I made bean soups a lot. Can’t wait to try this one. I can almost smell the flavors.
Mahy Elamin says
I love bean recipes. yessss! This is the perfect recipe for me. Looks VERY tasty! It look so yummy!
Michelle says
I miss living in NY/NJ as good italian food like this was never too far. Glad to now be able to make my own 🙂
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I love baked beans, but have never made it myself. This looks so good!! Definitely adding this to my to-do list
Renz says
You can never beat pasta and sausage. This looks yummy. Perfect sit on the couch and watch a movie food. Comforting
Claudia Lamascolo says
Of course this is a staple we grew up on in our homes, but I love the fact you used my favorite pasta in this and fire roasted tomatoes. This must be the tastiest fazool ever!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
I always enjoy your cultural and historical tidbits – always gives such a terrific background and sense of place to each recipe! I adore the addition of pasta here, too – I’m a true pasta lover, so I’m happy to work it in wherever I can LOL! So hearty and nutritious, too! Another fabulous post!
Kelly Anthony says
This looks crazy comforting! Oh how I wish I had a bowl right now! I love the pasta and sausage in there too!
Swathi says
This one of the filling meal, love anything with beans with pasta soup bowl is perfect and full of flavors from sausage to tomato and herbs yum.
Teri says
This is the kind of recipe that makes me wish I had grown up in an Italian home. This looks so yummy to me. I love all of the ingredients and it seems like such a comforting and flavorful meal to me. Thank you for sharing another wonderful recipe!
Ashley - Forking Up says
I never thought of baked beans having an Italian counterpart–that is too cool! The flavors here look great.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
I really enjoy cooking with sausage. This dish sounds like a hearty and comforting meal. I love that you used fire roasted tomatoes. Yum!
Adriana Lopez Martin says
What a comforting dish I love pasta e fagioli soup so I bet this is similar but baked in the oven. Love the shape of the pasta you used too. Great idea for an east fall weekday dinner.
Melissa says
This is a perfect dish for the cooler weather ahead, especially with that smoked sausage…mmm!!! We make Pasta Fagioli as it was a favorite for my hubby that his mom used to make so this would be a nice twist for us to enjoy! Thanks
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
I LOVE all kinds of baked beans. With comfort food season just around the corner, these will be perfect on a cold winter day after snow shoeing. Add a glass a wine, a warm fire….and I will be asleep in minutes!!
Mari says
My folks would say, we’re allways in for the bean! 😉 Especially baked and spiced nicely, as you did here. Thank you for this great idea!
Veena Azmanov says
Oh this looks so delicious Marisa !! I love beans and I love the way you made these. I love such food in winter – a bowl of beans cooked to perfection and crusty bread … cold winter night.. going to try this for sure. Saving this for now. Yum.
Simply Suzannes at Home says
Good morning, Marisa!
Your comment brought me lots of smiles today, so I wanted to come by and say thank you!!
I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
Suzanne
Aisha says
It looks good and I’m pretty sure it tastes good. I remember we’ve had such a good food in Tuscany when we traveled there.
Marisa Franca says
It is very good — a lot like comfort food — common but delicious. I hope you try it and let me know how you like it.
Simply Suzannes at Home says
Hi Marisa!
This dish sounds amazing! I’ve never heard of it before, but the combination of ingredients sounds delicious . . . creamy cannellini beans, tender pasta, spicy kick from the pepper flakes and fire roasted tomatoes, and the smoky meat . . . YUM!!
It also looks like it could be the perfect base for tender shredded beef. That might make it a little more American?
LOVE your version though! Totally printing this recipe to make SOON!!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Suzanne
Marisa Franca says
I think the shredded beef would be great. This type of recipe you could add any kind of protein that your wanted. How about sending us some of your warm, sunny weather?? Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too!
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen says
Hi Marisa, another amazing recipe, I love beans and especially with added pasta. Looks delicious. Have a great day!
Jovina Coughlin says
Looks like a wonderful bean dish made your way. Lots of terrific ingredients. Beans are so good for you and they taste good, especially when made like this.
Marisa Franca says
They taste good and are so versatile. We never get tired of eating them.
Ambra Sancin says
I make something very similar to this. I sometimes use Spanish chorizo sausages too, very nice. I like to use fresh Borlotti beans, but they are so expensive at the beginning of the season, it’s not very economical by the time you’ve thrown away the shells.
Marisa Franca says
I’ll have to try the Borlotti beans if I can find them. We do enjoy our fagioli!
Lily Lau says
Italians know their stuff with these awesome recipes! 😀 Thanks for sharing these fagioli with us!
Marisa Franca says
You are very welcome! We do enjoy cooking and of course eating 🙂