Legumes & Beans

Borlotti Bean

Cream-and-crimson speckled Italian bean for pasta e fagioli and hearty soups.

Borlotti beans are plump beans with a striking cream-and-crimson speckled pod and seed, fading to a pinkish brown when cooked. Beloved in Italian cooking, they star in pasta e fagioli, minestrone, and bean stews, prized for their thin skin and dense, nutty, chestnut-like flesh. They are also known as cranberry beans in North America.

The borlotti bean—also called cranberry bean, Roman bean, or Italian shell bean—is one of Italy's most beloved legumes, developed in the 19th century in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions and now grown widely across North America. Its defining characteristic is the cream-to-white skin overlaid with distinctive burgundy-crimson speckles that fade to tan as the bean cooks, a visual trait it shares with its close relatives pinto and cranberry beans, though borlotti are bred for a thinner skin and a characteristically silky, creamy interior. The flavor is nuttier and more pronounced than milder white beans like cannellini, with a gentle sweetness that makes it the defining legume of northern Italian peasant cooking.

Fresh borlotti, sold in pods in late summer and early autumn, are tender enough to cook without soaking and bring a brightness and delicate texture that dried beans cannot match. Dried borlotti, available year-round, require soaking and a longer cooking time but yield a creamier, more densely flavored result. The bean holds its shape well through simmering, making it ideal for soups and stews, but it turns mealy if overcooked or boiled vigorously after it is done—a common mistake that ruins texture in dishes like pasta e fagioli. The cooking liquid itself is valuable; a well-seasoned bean broth is the backbone of many Italian preparations, so save it whenever possible.

Measured in: g
Storage: Pantry

Types & varieties

Fresh Borlotti (in pod)

Sold shelled or in the pod. Cook briefly without soaking; use the same day as purchase for best texture.

Dried Borlotti

The most common year-round form. Requires soaking and longer cooking; produces a creamier, more concentrated result than fresh.

Fresh vs. Dried: Choosing and Using

Italian markets traditionally treat fresh borlotti in the pod as a distinct ingredient, not merely a less-processed version of the dried bean. Fresh borlotti have a bright, green-bean-like quality and cook in 20–40 minutes. They are ideal for dishes where you want a cleaner, lighter result—quick bean salads, light soups, or simply tossed with olive oil and herbs. Dried borlotti bring more developed flavor and a denser, silkier creaminess that stands up to long braises and the thick broth of pasta e fagioli. Neither is a substitute for the other; plan your dish around the form you have.

Buy fresh borlotti in firm, bright pods with plump, evenly colored beans visible through the shell
Refrigerate unshelled fresh borlotti in a plastic bag up to 5 days, but cook them as soon as possible
Dried borlotti are one of the few beans where a long cold soak (8 hours) noticeably improves the final creamy interior
Always cook dried beans in generously salted water from the start—they absorb permanent seasoning only while cooking

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent errors with borlotti are adding acid too early, overcooking, and undersalting the cooking water. Acid (tomatoes, wine, vinegar) added before the beans are fully tender causes the skins to stay firm and the interiors to remain hard throughout the pot, a problem that no amount of additional cooking will fix. Add acidic ingredients only in the last 20–30 minutes. After the beans are done, resist the urge to keep the pot at a hard boil—borlotti turn mealy and grainy when cooked past their threshold. Finally, undersalting is almost as damaging: beans absorb seasoning only during cooking, not after, so a bland cooking liquid produces bland beans.

Add tomatoes, vinegar, and wine only in the last 20–30 minutes of cooking
Cook at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, once boiling begins
Salt the cooking water generously from the start—taste and adjust before the beans go in
Skim foam during the first 10 minutes of a rolling boil for a cleaner result
Taste for doneness rather than following a fixed time; beans vary by batch and age

Common uses

Pasta e fagioli (the canonical Ligurian and Veneto versions)Minestrone and other hearty Italian soupsBean salads with olive oil, lemon, and herbsRisotto alla trevigiana (with radicchio and pork)Stews and braises, especially with tomato and porkSide dish tossed with garlic confit and sagePuréed for spreads and crostini toppingsCassoulet and similar long-cooked braisesInsalata di fagioli (with red onion, parsley, and good olive oil)

Tips & pitfalls

Salt the cooking water generously—beans absorb permanent seasoning only while cooking, not after.
Cook beans with aromatics from the start: a halved onion, a bay leaf, and a peeled garlic clove build background flavor without dominating the dish.
Add acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar, wine) only in the last 20–30 minutes; acid prevents skins from softening and can leave beans hard throughout.
Skim the foam that rises during the first 10 minutes of a rolling boil for a cleaner, clearer result.
Taste for doneness rather than watching the clock—beans vary by batch and age.
Fresh borlotti should be cooked the day of purchase for best texture; they toughen quickly in the refrigerator.
A long cold soak (8 hours) yields a more evenly creamy interior than quick-boiling methods.
Cooked borlotti freeze well; freeze in single batches for easy soup and stew additions.
If cooking dried beans, save the cooking liquid—it's a flavorful broth worth keeping.
Avoid overcooking: borlotti turn mealy if boiled vigorously for too long after they are done.

Nutrition

335kcal

Energy

1402 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 27%Carbs 70%Fat 3%

Protein

23g

46% DV

Carbs

60.1g

22% DV

Fat

1.2g

2% DV

Fiber

24.7g

88% DV

Sodium

6mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Folate151% DV

Thiamin (B1)62% DV

Magnesium37% DV

Zinc33% DV

Phosphorus30% DV

Iron28% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Beans, cranberry (roman), mature seeds, raw

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Good to know

Origin: Italy, developed in the 19th century in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy
Also Called: Cranberry bean, Roman bean, Italian shell bean
Scientific Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Color (Raw): Cream to white with burgundy-crimson speckles; speckles fade to tan when cooked
Peak Season (Fresh): Late summer through early autumn; dried available year-round
Flavor: Nutty, mildly sweet, more pronounced than milder white beans
Texture: Silky interior when cooked; thin skin holds shape well
Dried Cook Time: 45–90 minutes after soaking
Fresh Cook Time: 20–40 minutes; do not soak
Yield: 1 cup dried ≈ 2–2½ cups cooked
Storage (Dried): 1–2 years in a cool, dry, dark pantry; discard if hard or wrinkled
Storage (Cooked): Refrigerate in cooking liquid up to 5 days; freeze up to 3 months

Substitutes

Cannellini Bean — Closest in texture and role in Italian cooking; slightly milder. Use 1:1.
Great Northern Bean — Firm texture, mild flavor; works in soups and salads. Use 1:1.
Pinto Bean — Widely available; similar size and creamy texture. Use 1:1.
Kidney Bean — Firmness is similar but flavor is more starchy; better in chilis and stews than delicate pasta dishes.

Pairs with

San Marzano tomatoesPancetta or guancialeSage and rosemaryParmigiano-Reggiano GarlicGood olive oilAged balsamic vinegarLemon zestStale crusty bread

Also called

Cranberry Bean · Roman Bean · Fagioli Borlotti