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Italian Sausage and White Beans

Italian Sausage and White Beans is a hearty, flavorful Italian sausage and white bean stew perfect for a cool winter or spring evening.

Italian sausage and white beans in a serving bowl.

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Yesterday afternoon about 5:00 I still had no idea what I was going to cook for dinner. Does that ever happen to you? You know you need to get something started, but you just can’t figure out what.

So, I just went to the fridge and pantry and started pulling out things that I thought would go together. I had a package of Italian sausage that I needed to use and there were two cans of Great Northern beans in the pantry just begging to be cooked. I grabbed a can of tomatoes, some onions and garlic and got to work.

What resulted was a very flavorful, comforting dinner for a cool evening by the fire. All we needed to make a meal with this was a tossed salad and some garlic bread.

Now, I know that some combination of Italian sausage with white beans and tomatoes has probably been made thousands of times by different cooks and I’m sure that my version may not even be so authentically Italian. Regardless, it’s a delicious recipe that your whole family is bound to enjoy.


  • QUICK – You’ll need no more than 10 minutes of prep time.
  • EASY CLEAN UP – Cooks in one pan.
  • VERSATILE – Make the recipe you own by varying the sausage and type of beans.

About the Ingredients

  • Italian Sausage (We prefer mild sausages but “hot” Italian sausage are available. Turkey Italian sausages are great in this recipe.)
  • Canned White Beans (Use any white bean such as Cannellini or Great Northern.)

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Italian Sausage and White Beans

Let’s Go Step-by-Step

I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.

You start by heating some olive oil in a deep-sided pan. I use my chicken fryer because I can complete the whole recipe in that one pan. Just be sure to use something that all the sausages can fit into in a single layer.

Italian sausages browning in a skillet.

Add your Italian sausages and cook them, turning frequently until they’re nice and browned. Remove the sausages to a plate and put them aside until later.

To make this recipe lower in fat, you can use turkey Italian sausages. I buy them often and honestly we like them just as well as the pork ones.

Onions and peppers browning in the skillet.

In the same skillet, without cleaning it, add the onions, garlic, and sweet peppers and cook until they are tender and beginning to color just slightly.

If you need to add more olive oil you can, but here’s a trick that I often use. Instead of more oil, I add a few tablespoons of water, cover the pan and let the veggies steam. The water also loosens all the nice brown bits from the bottom of the pan while steaming the vegetables.

After the vegetables are tender and the water has evaporated, remove the lid of the pan and continue browning for a few minutes.

Tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasoning, wine, and beans added to the skillet.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan – tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings, wine, and beans. Stir everything to combine. Return the sausages, along with any accumulated juices, to the pan nestling them down into the bean and tomato mixture.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the sausages and beans are cooked through – about 25-30 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and garlic bread.

Italian sausage and white beans in a serving bowl.

Italian Sausage and White Beans

A hearty, flavorful Italian sausage and white bean stew.
5 from 21 votes
Print It Rate It Save
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 770kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 mild Italian sausages
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium sweet red or green pepper
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 30 ounces canned white beans such as Cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
  • ½ cup white wine or water or chicken stock

Instructions

  • In a deep-sided skillet (such as a chicken fryer), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally until well browned on all sides. Remove the sausages to a plate and hold until later.
  • Add the onion, garlic and sweet pepper to the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are tender and beginning to take on a little color.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan. Stir well to combine.
  • Return the sausages to the pan nestling them down into the bean and tomato mixture. Be sure to add any juices collected on the plate with sausages.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the sausages and beans are cooked through.

Notes

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 770kcal | Carbohydrates 59g | Protein 34g | Fat 43g | Saturated Fat 14g | Cholesterol 85mg | Sodium 1570mg | Potassium 1766mg | Fiber 14g | Sugar 8g | Vitamin A 531IU | Vitamin C 42mg | Calcium 247mg | Iron 10mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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Lana Stuart.

Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

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Recipe Rating




50 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I prepared this dish last evening and it was a big hit. It was fun putting it all together. Thank you for offering this recipe. It will be in my Sunday evening rotation along with pasta dishes & pasta fazool.

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made this before from a different recipe. I won’t be using that other recipe again as this one is much better. Great recipe and easy to follow. Delicious. Thanks.

  3. 5 stars
    I cook at a facility, I pulled the Italian Sausage and White Beans recipe off the internet prepared it for lunch. The staff and my clients LOVED this dish so much they requested the leftovers for dinner. Thank you

  4. R A Dempsey says:

    5 stars
    The best Sausage dish; the Cannellini beans are both very nutritious and delicious!

  5. 5 stars
    Delicious and so tasty. Used kidney beans as I didn’t have the white beans.

  6. Janet Bradley says:

    Could I use cooked ground sauage instead of links?

    Thanks, Jan

    1. I suppose you could. It would be quite a different recipe then but probably still very good.

  7. This recipe looks great. Question, could this recipe be made using a slow cooker. I anxiously look forward to your response. Thanks…..

    1. Lana Stuart says:

      Yes, you could make this in a slow cooker. No problem.

  8. Was so great! My husband loved it and asked me to please make it again : )

  9. Sounds delicious! I’ve got everything on hand – just need to defrost the italian sausage!

  10. This looks scrumptious, Lana! Simple yet very satisfying. I love those kinds of dishes. :-)

  11. I am so sorry I missed this one the other day… love Italian sausage and with your white bean creation, this would be just perfect, like how you created it as you went along… that takes a fine cook to be able to do that

    1. Thanks for the compliment, Drick! You should give this recipe a try sometime. I know you’d put a special Gulf Coast spin on it in your own way :-)

  12. Yum! This is my idea of comfort food and perfect for this rainy evening :) Delicious looking!

  13. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says:

    Ooh, Lana, what a great recipe! Total guy food, and I know my husband would love this just as much as I would. I love the flavors that you used! Thanks for sharing. :)

  14. A dish I think my hubby would beg for.

    1. Guys definitely go for this recipe! My hubby is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and he really enjoyed this.

  15. Maris (In Good Taste) says:

    This will be a dinner this week. Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. You’re welcome and I really hope you enjoy it!

  16. Looks lovely & surprise surprise, I have all ingredients on hand to make this for tonights dinner! A question before I gather my ingredients. The size of cans you used, The tomatoes and tomato sauce. I have 398ml, (14oz) 54o ml, (19 oz) and larger, but am assuming by the looks of your finished recipe, you used the 540 ml size. Right?
    Thanks Lana!

    1. Hi Jocelyn – I used a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. Hope that helps!

      1. Thank you Lana..
        I was a bit unsure about the sizes, the tomato sauce especially, so ended up omitting the cans & made my version of your dish with a basket of fresh tomatoes that had become too ripe to eat out of hand. Sauteed onion, sweet peppers & garlic per your recipe, as well as a half cabbage cut into slivers that needed to be used up. Found I did not have canned white beans after all so used chick peas as a substitute. Also threw in a good palmful of chopped fresh rosemary, fresh mint, thai basil & Italian parsley, some of which grow in my sunroom. I love experimenting with fresh herb combinations, and in this case, they complemented your dish quite nicely!

        1. LOL, Jocelyn! You started out with my recipe, but wound up with something totally different – I love that!

  17. Kalynskitchen says:

    Your sausage and beans looks just delicious! Thanks for including my recipe too.

    1. You’re welcome, Kalyn!

  18. Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says:

    Yum! This looks so comforting & filling!

  19. Barbara @moderncomfortfood says:

    I love it, Lana! This reminds me so much of my Florida “native” (Cuban) caldo gallego soup. with white beans, collards, and chorizos, one of the greatest soup dinner recipes ever, as far as I’m concerned.

    1. You know, Barbara – some green would be really good in this! Collards or kale, I think.

  20. Happier Than A Pig in Mud says:

    Sounds like a perfect dinner, I LOVE beans! Happy Weekend:@)

    1. We really enjoy beans, too. There’s so much you can do with them!

  21. Cookin' Canuck says:

    I can’t begin to tell you how much I would love a bowl of this right now. What a wonderful dish, Lana!

    1. Thanks, Dara. If I could send you a bowl, I would.

  22. Feast on the Cheap says:

    sausage and white beans are a staple in my kitchen – this looks like it’ll be a fab addition to my growing collection…

    1. Sometimes it’s really interesting to see what can come from pantry staples! That’s where this recipe came from – a well-stocked pantry :-)

  23. Unique or not, authentic or not, this look FABULOUS. Such gorgeous colors and flavors. I’ll take a weeknight meal at your house any day of the week!

  24. Jersey Girl Cooks says:

    Wow, this looks heavenly especially on a cold wet day like today.

    1. It really is a very comforting dish and great for a cold, rainy day :-)

  25. WOW, this looks fantastic! Right up my alley! I may just make it for dinner tonight! thanks!

    1. Hi Julie. Hope you enjoy it. I’d love to hear some feedback.

  26. Alison @ ingredients, Inc. says:

    Will have to try this. I think my kids might even like it too!

    1. I think kids would definitely like this. For very small ones, slice the sausages into rounds before serving.

  27. That’s a very pretty dish!! Definitely something I’ll make…I’m always looking for dinners with beans as the starch :-) Thanks

    1. Thanks, Kim. Hope you enjoy it.

  28. Makes me HUNGRY! I love the flavour and comfort this offers. YUM!

    1. Thank you, Deeba. It really turned out well, I thought.