Italian sausage and white bean

Italian sausage and white bean in a super-easy startup variation on meatballs. The key is to buy good quality pork and fennel sausages either at your local butcher or the supermarket.

If you can’t find any cannellini beans, borlotti beans or butter beans work just as well. This is a freezable meal so it is always good to double and freeze half.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 20ml / 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed or grated
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stick of celery, finely diced
• 4 sprigs of parsley
• 300g / 10oz of Italian sausages (e.g. pork and fennel)
• 100ml/½ cup of red wine (optional)
• 400g / 14oz of tinned diced tomotoes
• 800g / 28oz of cannellini beans (tinned), drained and rinsed
• 250ml / 1 cup of water
• 1 pinch of salt (iodised)
• 1 pinch of pepper

Method

1. Heat oil in a cause pan and cook the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and parley for 10 minutes. Add a little water to aid cooking and stop it from burning.
2. Squeeze sausage mix out of its skin / casing into small balls directly into the pot. Colour on all sides.
3. Add red wine (if using), tomatoes, cannellini beans and water.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on.
5. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper to your taste, and serve.