Crostini con fagioli is a typical Tuscan appetizer featuring creamy white beans or cannellini beans, cooked slowly and then served on toasted or grilled bread.

Crostini con Fagioli
Serves 6 to 8
1 ½ cups dried cannellini beans
4 fresh sage leaves plus additional for garnish
4 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 crushed cloves of garlic
Salt
1 baguette or rustic Italian bread
1 clove of garlic cut in half
Ground black pepper
To prepare the beans:
Place the beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight (at least 8 hours)
After soaking, drain the beans, place in a heavy saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water.
Add the sage leaves, olive oil, garlic, and pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until beans are tender and saucy, approximately 1 hour. Remove garlic cloves and sage leaves. Add salt to taste.
To prepare the crostini:
Slice the bread in half-inch-thick rounds and toast (in a toaster oven or better yet grill on a BBQ).
Immediately after toasting while the bread is still warm, rub the toasts with the cut end of the garlic clove.
Arrange toasts on a serving platter, ladle the beans onto the toasts, grind some black pepper over each toast, and garnish with finely chopped sage leaves.
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