Hearty and flavorful Italian Sausage & White Beans is quick and easy. A one-pan, skillet weeknight dinner option that looks and tastes like you fussed.
Elaborate dinners and numerous pots, pans and dishes have no place on ordinary weeknights in our house. Is yours the same?
As with all rules, there are definitely exceptions. But by and large, if it’s a dinner that only calls for one pan, you can bet I love it! Plus, it’s even better when said meal tastes amazing and has a gourmet vibe. What’s not to love?
Such is the case with this recipe!
How to make Italian Sausage & White Beans
You’ll have this awesome dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. 5 minutes of prep time, 20 minutes of cooking time, and just one skillet are all you need. This dinner is hurried along by the addition of purchased sausage links and canned beans.
You’ll start by prepping the veggies. Dice half of a red onion, a whole red pepper and a few cloves of garlic. Then slice your Italian Sausage links.
*Tip – since the Italian Sausage links are uncooked, they are a bit more difficult to slice. Use a really sharp, non-serrated knife or toss them in the freezer for 15 minutes to make the process easier.
Next, you’ll start cooking your prepped veggies and sausage in some olive oil in a large skillet. You’ll toss in some fresh spinach, seasonings, two cans of rinsed and drained Cannellini beans (or other white bean of your choice), and a cup of chicken stock.
Once all of the ingredients have been added to the skillet, they’ll need to cook together for 10 minutes and then dinner is served. See? It really doesn’t get much easier!
Serving options and sides
I used sweet Italian sausage in this recipe, but feel free to swap it out for a spicy variety, or even a smoked or Polish sausage if you’d prefer. Chicken sausage is also a fantastic option!
We like to eat this dinner with a fresh, crusty loaf of sourdough or multigrain bread. There are lots of delicious side dish options though. Some ideas are:
- Served alongside some pasta mixed with olive oil, roasted garlic, salt and pepper.
- Served over creamy polenta and topped with fresh Parmesan
- Mixed with a few cups of orzo, couscous, or white or brown rice
If you have an leftovers, mix with a few cups of chicken stock for a delicious soup. It makes an awesome lunch.
Make it vegan
You can easily turn this into a vegan dinner! (It’s already naturally gluten free if you use a gluten free sausage variety.)
There are two vegan options you can choose from:
- Omit the sausage altogether and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
- Use a vegan sausage and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
What kind of beans should I use?
We really like the creaminess of Cannellini beans in this dish. However, feel free to use your favorite white bean, or even mix it up further by using red kidney beans or pinto beans.
Since this is an easy, one-skillet dinner, I rely on canned beans to make it easy all around. You can use dry beans that you’ve cooked if you have them on hand though. There are times when the texture difference between canned beans and fresh beans makes a difference but this is not one of those times!
Can this dinner be frozen?
You can freeze this dinner. To do so, cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe storage bag. To reheat, plop the frozen mixture into a pot over low heat, cover and simmer until warm, stirring frequently.
I highly recommend you add this recipe to your rotation the next time you have a busy week. I know you’ll love it! It’s:
- Easy
- Quick
- Customizable
- Hearty
- Flavorful
- & delicious!
Italian Sausage & White Beans
Ingredients
- 1/2 Red onion
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 lb. Italian sausage links (sweet or spicy)
- 1 T. Olive oil
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 lb. Fresh spinach (trimmed and washed)
- 2 t. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 t. Nutmeg
- 1/4 t. Crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cans Cannellini beans (or other white beans) (15 oz. cans; rinsed and drained)
- 1 c. Chicken stock
Instructions
- Dice red onion, red pepper and garlic.
- Slice Italian sausage links.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic and sliced sausage. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until sausage starts to brown.
- Stir in spinach and seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
- Cover skillet, reduce heat and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until sausage is fully cooked.
- Increase heat to medium-high and stir in beans and chicken stock.
- Bring to a slow boil and cook until broth is reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To make the sausage easier to slice, make sure to use a sharp, non-serrated knife. If you are still having a hard time, you can firm them up slightly by tossing them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Serve with crusty bread, pasta, polenta, rice, orzo or couscous.
- You can make this recipe up to 2 days in advance and then just reheat when you’re ready for dinner.
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