Restaurant critic Jenn Harris called Daniele Uditi’s pasta e fagioli the “crowning glory” of his 2025 Lele Dinner Club series. One key to its success was the beans he used — pale yellow Peruanos from Mexico by way of Peru instead of the more traditional Italian cannellini beans.
“They’re so smooth and creamy,” he told writer Margy Rochlin. “When you cook them, there’s a sweetness behind these beans. [They] have an oomph to them, a depth of flavor.”
You can, of course, use cannellini beans for this recipe, but Peruanos are affordable and easily available in Latino supermarkets throughout California.
Instead of San Marzano or plum tomatoes, Uditi uses piennolo tomatoes, which are oval, a bit larger than cherry tomatoes and distinguished by their pointed tip. If your supermarket doesn’t have them, mail-order sources such as Gustiamo or Amazon sell them jarred. You can also use canned cherry tomatoes.
To finish the beans, Uditi stirs in aglio sfritto — garlic sizzled or fried in oil with Calabrian chile. It adds an extra dimension of flavor.
Read Margy Rochlin’s full story on Peruano beans, which includes two more recipes that use the pale yellow legume.
