Lake Trasimeno is the largest lake in central Italy famous for the battle in which the Roman army was defeated by that of the Carthaginians led by Hannibal, but also the place where the Trasimeno bean grows and is cultivated.
We are in Umbria, the green heart of Italy but also a region with a strong spirituality that can be perceived by the sweetness of its landscapes. Its cuisine holds many surprises and flavors that deserve to be tried.
The fagiolina del Trasimeno bean is a very small bean with a tender skin, that does not need to be soaked, and is now a Slow Food presidium. It was cultivated until the 1950s and then with the abandonment of the countryside it risked extinction.
Fortunately, thanks to the intervention of the University of Perugia and Slow Food, this type of bean known and marketed already by the Etruscans has been saved and today it is possible to enjoy it in all its round flavor.
The Trasimeno bean has 15% more protein than all other beans and is more digestible thanks to the thin skin. On the palate it has a sweetish taste and an excellent herbaceous flavor, so it is perfect to be eaten only boiled seasoned with oil, salt and pepper, or in a soup.
I prepared the fagiolina del Trasimeno bean by serving it on a bruschetta with cuttlefish and Cannara onion jam, another quality Umbrian product.
Recipe of bruschetta with cuttlefish and Trasimeno beans
Boil the Trasimeno beans perfuming it with sage leaves. Meanwhile, clean and wash the cuttlefish and sauté it in a pan with garlic, oil and chilli.
Finely cut the Cannara red onions into strips and caramelize them by putting them in a pan with a little oil. Let them soften by sprinkling them with sugar and a pinch of salt, mix well and cover with water to cook until the liquid has evaporated.
Take two slices of homemade bread and make them toast. At this point you are ready to assemble the dish.
I took the bread, I put on it the green bean seasoned with oil and salt, the crispy cuttlefish and the onion compote.
In the glass I chose a local wine, a rosé from Gamay del Trasimeno grapes with aromas of dog rose and wild berries.
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