Tuscan Stewed Beans

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (56 mL) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, (chopped)
• 2 medium or large carrots, (peeled and finely chopped)
• 2 celery ribs, (diced)
• 4 garlic cloves, (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup (4g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, (minced)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 4 1/2 tablespoons (67g) tomato paste ((in a tube, not a can)*)
• ¾ cup (180 mL) dry white wine**
• 1 28-ounce (800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, ( crushed by hand)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, (plus more to taste)
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) vegetable broth, plus more as desired
• 2 (15-ounce/425g) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup (8g) fresh basil, (slivered***)

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrot, celery, and garlic, with another pinch of salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, parsley, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring almost continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's a bit darker in color.
• Pour the white wine in and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Allow wine to simmer rapidly for 3 minutes, or until mostly evaporated and it no longer smells like wine, stirring often.
• Add tomatoes along with their juices, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and several cracks of black pepper. Cook at a rapid simmer, stirring fairly often, until the tomatoes are fully broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 13 minutes.
• Add the veggie broth and 2 cans of beans. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and maintain a decent simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while. If you want the stew to be thicker, towards the end of cooking, use the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently smash a small portion of the beans.
• Taste, adding a pinch of sugar if needed (if your tomatoes are good-quality, it should not be necessary). Remove the bay leaf. Finish with chopped basil. Season to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.