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–+ servings

Bordatino alla Pisana (Tuscan Bean & Cornmeal Soup)

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Bordatino alla Pisana is a hearty Tuscan soup of beans, greens, and cornmeal—once a sailor’s meal, now a winter favorite rich in flavor and tradition.
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Prep Time50 minutes
+ soaking overnight 12 hours
Total Time2 hours
Servings4

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure Cooker, (I recommend Fissler Vitavit Premium 3.5l or larger), optional

Ingredients 
 

  • 320 g dried cannellini beans (or 2 x 570g jars or 3 x 400g cans, see note below)
  • 2 ¼ tbsp salt (32g)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 2 sprigs of sage
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)
  • 1 large onion (200g)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 200 g cavolo nero
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (plus extra to serve)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (50g)
  • 150 g coarse polenta

Instructions 

  1. Soak the cannellini beans with 1 tablespoon (14g) of the salt in around 1.5l of water overnight.
  2. The next day, drain and rinse the beans and add them to a large pan with 2l of water. Peel and add the whole garlic cloves as well as the sprigs of sage. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid left slightly ajar for 1 hour or until just tender. Alternatively, cook with the garlic, sage and just 1l of water for around 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Remove the sage, then drain the beans and garlic but keep the cooking liquid.
  3. When the beans have around 25 minutes left, heat the olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat. Peel and dice the onion, then dice the carrot and celery, adding them to the casserole as you go. Strip the cavolo nero leaves and set aside, then dice the stalks and add them to the casserole as well along with the chilli flakes, black pepper and the remaining 1¼ tablespoons (18g) of salt. Cook until the veg has softened (10-15 minutes).
  4. Meanwhile, chop the cavolo nero leaves into strips. Transfer a quarter (about 180g) of the beans with the cooked garlic and around 250ml of the bean cooking liquid to the jug of an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Then measure the remaining cooking liquid and add enough fresh water to reach 1.25l.
  5. Add the tomato paste to the casserole and give it a stir to mix it through, then add the cavolo nero leaves along with the blended beans, the cooked beans and the 1.25l liquid. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
  6. Slowly sprinkle in the polenta, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook uncovered until the polenta is soft (1-2 minutes), then turn off the heat and leave to sit covered for 5 minutes, during which the soup will thicken more.
  7. Divide over bowls and serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Notes

  • The soup varies in thickness across Tuscany. For a looser version, add a little more water - just be sure to compensate with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • If you’ve made a thicker soup, leftovers will set relatively solid if left overnight in the fridge. This cold Bordatino can then be cut and grilled or fried - wonderful as a snack or starter!
  • If using jarred or canned beans, simply start with Step 3. In Step 4, use your jarred or canned cannellini beans and fresh water instead of the cannellini cooking liquid. Jarred cannellini are often pre-seasoned, so make sure to add less salt (½ tsp per jar).
  • Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.