Italian Sausage and Bean Casserole

Weeknight comfort food just got easier. Meet Italian Sausage and Bean Casserole – your new favorite one-pan, one-pot dinner. Ready in just 30 minutes on the stovetop, it’s the kind of comforting dish your family will ask for again and again. All you need is crusty bread for soaking up every last bite of sauce. Slow cooker instructions are included, too.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Italian sausages (mild or spicy)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Tomato paste (tomato puree in the UK)
• Italian red wine
• Crushed red pepper/chili flakes
• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cooked cannellini/white kidney beans or great 

Think of this dish as a casseruola in Italy or a cassoulet in France – essentially an Italian sausage stew made with simple, comforting ingredients.

You can make this casserole ahead of time and reheat it with ease. It comes with my guarantee that the whole family will love it, and it’s even better the next day as leftovers.

Best Italian sausage to use

I like to use sweet Italian sausage, as it balances and offsets any spice in the sauce. If you prefer more heat, spicy Italian sausage works just as well — simply adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. A plain or mild Italian sausage is also a great option.

Sweet Italian sausages are delicious on their own, as a pizza topping, or served in a bun with peppers and onions. They’re especially good when simmered with cannellini beans in a tomato and rosemary sauce, where their flavor really shines.

Sauce spice level

The heat in this sauce is completely adjustable. Red pepper flakes let you add just a touch of spice or turn it up to your liking. Using sweet Italian sausage helps balance the heat, while spicy Italian sausage will naturally kick it up a notch – just be mindful of how much spice you add to the sauce.

Classic Italian dishes

I love cooking Italian dishes like this with beans, especially recipes inspired by Tuscany, where beans play a central role in everyday cuisine. Meals like Tuscan bean soup or warm bean crostini are classic examples of how simple ingredients create deeply comforting food.

Lentils are another staple of the region, as well as in Sicily. Some of my favorite lentil-based dishes include Lentil Soup with Winter Vegetables and Sicilian Lentil Pasta. Both pictured below.

Chefs tip

Because Italian sausages are already packed with flavor, I like to brown them first in the same pan. This adds extra depth and richness to the sauce.

Canned beans work beautifully in this dish since they’re added toward the end of cooking.  There’s no need for long simmering, and they hold their shape while soaking up all that delicious flavor.

Wine substitute

This recipe includes wine, but it can easily be omitted if you’re serving children or prefer not to use alcohol. Simply replace it with chicken stock or broth for the same depth of flavor.

Slow cooker Italian sausage and beans

This casserole is perfect for the slow cooker. Use dried beans, as canned beans will fall apart. Soak the dried beans overnight and cook them before adding to the slow cooker.

Brown the sausage as directed in step 1, then add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours. The result is a rich, hearty meal with minimal effort.

5 from 19 reviews

Italian Sausage and Bean Casserole

Janette

Sweet Italian sausage is cooked with cannellini beans, in a tomato rosemary, wine sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 8 sweet or spicy Italian sausages
• ▢ 1 cup (128 grams) onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste , puree in the UK
• ▢ Small pinch red pepper chili flakes, more if you like it spicier
• ▢ ½ cup (118 ml) Italian red wine, substitute chicken stock for children
• ▢ 3 cups (700 grams) canned chopped tomatoes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
• ▢ 30 oz (two 15 oz cans)850g (two 425g cans) canned cannellini/white kidney beans, drained (or dried if making in the slow cooker)

Instructions

 

To make on the stovetop:

• Heat a braising pan or high-sided skillet/frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Brown the sausages for about 3 minutes per side until golden (they don’t need to be cooked through). Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the onions (add more oil if needed) and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to let them brown.
• Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a saucy consistency.
• Stir in the beans, then nestle the sausages back into the pan. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes until everything is heated through and flavors combine.

To make in the slow cooker:

• Soak dried beans overnight in water. Brown the sausage as in step 1, then put everything into the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

Notes

You will need to use dried beans as canned will fall apart and they will need to be soaked overnight before cooking. Brown the sausage as in step 1, then put everything into the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

 

Serving: 1, Calories: 435kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Sodium: 437mg

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