For the beans
250 g (9 oz) dried cannellini beans
4 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda
2 large fresh tomatoes
a handful fresh sage leaves
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
For six
To prepare the dried beans first soak them overnight in a bowl of cold water to which you have added the bicarbonate of soda. Drain and rinse the beans well, then place in a saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then drain again. Pour in enough fresh water to cover by about 5cm (2 in), then add the tomatoes, sage and garlic. Return to the boil and simmer, covered, occasionally removing any scum that comes to the surface, until tender, which can vary from 40–90 minutes. When the beans are tender, remove the tomato, sage and garlic but keep the beans in the cooking water until ready to use.
Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. In a large saucepan, cook the garlic in the oil until soft but not brown. Add the parsley and cook for a second, then add the beans and stir.
Put three-quarters of the mixture into a food processor with some of the liquid, and briefly pulse; you do not want a purée. Add more liquid if necessary, but it should be thick. Return to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper, if too thick, add more cooking liquid. Serve with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.