Fagioli Secchi

Dried beans are known in Italy as the meat of the poor, because they are so inexpensive and so full of protein (they actually have slightly more than an equivalent amount of meat). They are the basis of pasta e fagioli, of minestrone, and of purees of beans served on grilled bread with a thread of olive oil. Le nonne always soak their beans for 12 hours, or overnight, covered by 2 to 3 inches of cold water, water that in earlier decades was rainwater or water from the well. Next morning or whenever they are ready, they drain them and cover them with lots of fresh cold water, bring them to a boil, and cook the beans until they are tender. Beans are cooked by themselves or with a prosciutto bone or pancetta for flavor and, depending on which nonna is talking, they are usually cooked without salt because it toughens the beans and causes their skins to split. But there is no agreement on the subject. Some women salt the water because it flavors the beans as they cook. You can follow one of four nonna paths: add the salt at the beginning or near the very end of the cooking or immediately after the beans have finished cooking or after letting them sit for a few minutes.