Cannellini beans are large white haricot beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, widely used in Italian cooking. Creamy and mild when cooked, they hold their shape well, making them ideal for soups such as pasta e fagioli, stews, salads, and the Tuscan classic of beans with olive oil and sage. Like other pulses they provide plant protein, dietary fibre, folate, iron, and slowly digested starch. Dried beans must be soaked and boiled hard for at least ten minutes to destroy lectins, the natural toxins that cause severe nausea in undercooked kidney-type beans. Canned cannellini are a convenient, safe alternative.