Sausages with White Beans in Tomato Sauce

Sausages with White Beans in Tomato Sauce

Serves 4-6
Meal type Main Dish
Region Italian
From magazine Bon Appétit, October 2009

Ingredients

  • 1 pounds dried cannellini or navy beans
  • 8 cups water (room-temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 head garlic (unpeeled, top 1/2 inch cut off to expose cloves)
  • 1 sprig sage (fresh)
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)
  • 6 whole sweet Italian sausages
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (juice reserved)
  • 2 sprigs sage (fresh)
  • 1 cup water

Directions

Beans with Garlic and Sage
Step 1
Place beans in large bowl. Cover with cold water (at least 6 cups) and let soak overnight.
Step 2
Drain beans. Place in large pot. Add 8 cups room-temperature water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, head of garlic, 1 fresh sage sprig, and 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mix in 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Continue to simmer until beans are tender, adding more water if needed to keep beans covered, about 30 minutes longer.
Step 3
Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to serving bowl, reserving bean cooking liquid, discarding garlic, sage, and peppercorns. Season beans to taste with salt and pepper.
Sausages with White Beans in Tomato Sauce
Step 4
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. Sauté garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Add sausages; sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup reserved bean cooking liquid, tomatoes with juice, and 2 fresh sage sprigs. Simmer 5 minutes. Add beans and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer until sausages are cooked through, adding more water if dry, about 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.