Ciao! Today, I’m going to tell you how to cook fresh borlotti beans like an Italian. You will learn how Italians cook delicious fresh borlotti beans with just a little help from garlic and bay leaves.
When you find borlotti beans that are fresh and still in the pod, catch them before they’re gone: cooking fresh borlotti is a life experience.
First of all, because of the time you spend shelling them: for some, it is a waste of time; for me, it is kitchen meditation.
Second, it’s an opportunity to learn how to cook fresh borlotti beans like an Italian. Like a nonna slowly shelling, slowly simmering, slowly savoring a bean to check the readiness.
Italian-style borlotti beans, by the way, is a very easy recipe.
how to cook fresh borlotti beans
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups fresh borlotti beans
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Shell the beans and place them in a pot with the garlic clove (no need to peel it) and the bay leaves.
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Cover entirely with water and turn on the heat to medium.
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Cook, lid on, but leaving a little opening, about 40 minutes, or until fork-tender.
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Every now and then, check and add water if necessary.
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When thoroughly cooked, salt beans to your taste.
Beans in the Italian culture
Did you know the Italian expression “cadere a fagiolo”? Fagiolo is the Italian word for bean, so it literally translates into “drop as a bean”. In the past, beans were harvested very ripely when a simple gesture would make them drop from the plant into the soil – or your hands. Therefore the expression is used for situations that easily fall into place. For example, when someone arrives when needed or a topic is introduced in a conversation at the proper time.
From the Italian Colors Newsletter: “…He also eyed totally out-of-season bell peppers and cooked them with his secret recipe: roasted in the oven, peeled, and seasoned with olive oil, garlic, olives, and a hint of lemon juice. I made a salad with the leftovers by adding “puntarelle” (the Roman chicory), white beans, and basil, and it turned out to be a successful experiment.”
Enjoy your borlotti beans.
Claudia