Stewed Sausages and Beans is a rustic and genuine dish, ideal for the colder days. This recipe allows you to serve a second course complete with a side dish that, accompanied by a slice of toasted bread, easily becomes a one-pot meal. During winter I love using legumes in various preparations, from soups, like bean and pumpkin soup or lentil and potato soup, to main courses, like chickpeas with cod or lentils and sausage stew. These are simple, nutritious dishes that can warm both body and spirit. To prepare stewed sausages and beans, the beans – you can use fresh or dried ones – should be pre-boiled and then added to the sausages after cooking them a bit in a tasty tomato sauce. If pressed for time, you can opt for canned beans: while freshly cooked ones are preferable, they are a valid alternative for making this dish quickly. With a few ingredients and some love for home cooking, you will bring a tasty dish to the table, perfect for a family dinner or with friends!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 635.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.70 (g) of which sugars 1.52 (g)
- Proteins 29.35 (g)
- Fat 47.90 (g) of which saturated 1.12 (g)of which unsaturated 0.21 (g)
- Fibers 7.31 (g)
- Sodium 2,058.92 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 340 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for preparing stewed sausages with beans
If you are celiac, remember to check that the sausages have the label “gluten free”.
- 28 oz fresh borlotti beans (or canned; or 5 oz dried beans)
- 1.3 lbs sausages
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 12 oz tomato puree
- to taste vegetable broth
- 1/2 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste water
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 leaves sage
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot non-stick 28 cm diameter with lid
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pan
How to prepare stewed sausages and beans with tomato
To prepare stewed sausages and beans, start by boiling the beans as indicated in this recipe (1). If using dried beans, remember to soak them for 12 hours. Once cooked (2), drain the beans using a colander, keeping aside their cooking water. This can be used instead of vegetable broth to cook the sausages and make the dish even more flavorful. Pour it into a milk pan and keep it on low heat, so it’s always warm and ready to use. Finely chop onion, celery, and carrot and place the chopped mix in a non-stick pot with the oil (3).
Sauté everything over low heat, then add the sausages (4). Let them brown for 2-3 minutes, turning them on all sides. Once they have gained color, raise the heat and deglaze with the red wine (5). Let it evaporate for about a minute, deglazing the bottom, until the strong smell of alcohol is gone. Now add the tomato puree (6) and a generous pinch of salt.
Also pour in some bean cooking water (7) or some hot vegetable broth. Cover with a lid and let the sausages stew on low heat for about 15 minutes, adding a bit more water or broth if the sauce gets too thick. After 15 minutes, the sausages will be almost done (8). Then add the beans (9).
Thin the sauce with some bean water or broth (10) and cover again with the lid (11). Let it simmer for 7-8 minutes, keeping the flame very low so the beans don’t break, stirring occasionally. Then remove the lid and let it cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness (12).
Serve stewed sausages and beans hot, accompanied by toasted rustic bread or some polenta.
Storage
You can store stewed sausages and beans in a glass container in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. When reheating, pour them into a pot and add a little water to dilute the sauce slightly and prevent the beans from burning. Alternatively, you can reheat everything in the microwave.
Tips and Variations
Red wine gives the dish a great taste as well as a nice intense color; however, if you prefer, you can replace it with dry white wine.
