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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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More Italian Sausage and Bean Recipes …
- White Beans and Sausage from Simply Recipes
- Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet from Budget Bytes
- Italian Sausage Stew with White Beans from NeighborFood
- Sausage and Bean Stew from Culinary Hill
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.
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.
Thanks Joe! I’m glad to know you like the recipe.
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
This comment makes me so happy! You’ve made my whole day :-)
The best Sausage dish; the Cannellini beans are both very nutritious and delicious!
Great for a cold, snowy day isn’t it??
Delicious and so tasty. Used kidney beans as I didn’t have the white beans.
Could I use cooked ground sauage instead of links?
Thanks, Jan
I suppose you could. It would be quite a different recipe then but probably still very good.
This recipe looks great. Question, could this recipe be made using a slow cooker. I anxiously look forward to your response. Thanks…..
Yes, you could make this in a slow cooker. No problem.
Was so great! My husband loved it and asked me to please make it again : )