I first had this simple dish in the Madonna restaurant in Venice to accompany slow-roasted belly of pork. The River Café in London serves a similar cranberry bean recipe as a first course with lots of arugula.

Fresh beans make this extra delicious as they have a softer, creamier texture than dried.

Put the beans, garlic and chopped sage in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the beans are soft. Drain them and, while still warm, add 1 table spoon of oil and put aside.

Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in very little olive oil until crisp and add to the beans. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and slowly add the rest of the olive oil to give a very creamy dressing. Pour this over the still warm beans, retaining a third of it if you are using the salad leaves. Garnish with plenty of chopped sage leaves over the top.

If using the salad leaves, dress the leaves, divide among the plates, and spoon the beans over the leaves. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe From: In Season
By Sarah Raven
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