Lemony cannellini beans with pecorino romano and a look back at our first trip to Florence.
Plus, a bit of This & That.
Lemony Cannellini Beans with Pecorino Romano
I woke up on Sunday morning craving a warm bowl of brothy beans topped with a crispy fried egg, but sadly, I hadn't made any beans this week. I peered into the pantry, saw a lone can of cannellini beans, and decided to improvise with what I had to satisfy my craving. Some zingy lemon zest, creamy cannellini beans, and the sharp, nutty flavor of freshly grated Pecorino Romano created the most delicious dish in under fifteen minutes. And, as an added touch, remember to top it with an egg...because it's just better that way.
LEMONY CANNELLINI BEANS WITH PECORINO ROMANO
Serves 2
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + plus more for finishing
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
Sea salt
Black pepper
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Zest from 1/2 lemon
Pecorino Romano
Optional: 2 fried eggs
In a medium pan, add the olive oil, sliced garlic, and finely diced onion. Turn the heat on medium, and cook, stirring to coat, until the onion is tender but not brown, 2-3 minutes.
Next, add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans and 1/4 cup water. Stir to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring as the beans get creamy. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the juice from 1/2 lemon. Pour the beans onto a serving plate and top with extra virgin olive oil, zest from 1/2 a lemon, lots of freshly grated Pecorino Romano, and freshly cracked blacked pepper.
And, if you're like me, top it with some fried eggs!
A trip down memory lane
Five years ago, on our way to our friends' vow renewal in the hills of Tuscany, Andre and I spent three exhausting and magical days in Florence, Italy with Costa and Paolo. It was definitely a lot with a one year old and four year old, but looking back at all the old pictures and videos reminded me what an incredible trip it was for all of us. We stayed at a charming boutique bed and breakfast called Soprarno Suites, just minutes from Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. The location and room was perfect for our family of four, and we could easily walk everywhere and explore the city.
There were so many memorable meals throughout our time in Florence, but the ones that really left a lasting impression and that I am dying to get back to were Trattoria Sostanza (the butter chicken, bistecca Fiorentina, artichoke omelet, meringue cake with flecks of dark chocolate), Trattoria Cammillo (tortellini in brodo showered in Parmigiano Reggiano), and Trattoria del Carmine (honestly everything we ate here was beyond). We spent our days walking the cobblestone streets, inhaling mortadella and prosciutto sandwiches, eating gelato from pretty much every gelateria we came across, hopping on merry-go-rounds in the piazzas, and popping into cafes for quick espressos and sweet treats for the kids.
Florence is such a wonderful place to travel to with children, even the super little ones, as there is so much to see and do with them and the food is absolutely fantastic. Andre and I've been longing to get there since we arrived in Italy and finally this week was our chance! We’ll be sharing all our latest Firenze discoveries and delights in next week's newsletter.
Until then! x
This & That
Finally working our way through boxes and just unpacked my favorite ceramic planters from Tellefsen Atelier. The colors are incredible!
It was a Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup kind of week.
Just discovered this site that has beautiful, furnished rentals for monthly stays or longer in places like Madrid, Paris, and Lisbon.