HEARTY SAUSAGE AND CANNELLINI BEANS WITH SPINACH, ITALIAN SALSICCE E FAGIOLI CON SPINACI

A hearty one pan Italian Stew made with Sweet Italian Sausage, Cannellini Beans and Spinach is just waiting for you to make it.  Read on and I’ll tell you how to create this dish of Italian Comfort Food.  About the most difficult part of this dish is taking the sausage out of the casing.  It’s pretty simple but tastes like you are eating something that took all day to cook.  Pretty cool huh?  SALSICCE E FAGIOLI CON SPINACI, looks better when you say it in Italian.  I can’t tell you how often my mother would pop open a can or two of beans and suddenly the house was filled with amazing aromas and we just couldn’t wait to sit down and enjoy one of the many dishes she created from her kitchen, or from her mother’s.  File this under CAST IRON COOKING (although it’s not a requirement) as it’s one of my favorite cooking pieces to use.  Hold heat.  Evenly cooks.  Durable.  Perfect for this dish or use any other high sided heavy bottomed pan.  Sometimes I sit back and can’t believe all I remember that came out of our kitchen in Staten Island, NYC.  Often I take those memories and dishes and build on them always staying true to the original and respecting it.  So let’s get started on this fairly “quick” dish which draws on my Southern Italian-American roots.

 

TIME:  1 hour 15 minutes                                  SERVES: 4-6

5 SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGES , slit the skins and remove the meat.  Break it up into a bowl.

2 CANS CANNELLINI BEANS, DRAINED

3 SLICED CLOVES OF GARLIC

3 TBS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1/2 TSP PEPERONCINO

KOSHER SALT

1/2 CUP WHITE ITALIAN WINE

1/2 CUP CRUSHED TOMATOES

2 CUPS CHOPPED FRESH SPINACH

PECORINO ROMANO FOR GRATING

See, not too much to worry about here!! Let’s Cook!

 

In a Cast Iron Pan or a high sided heavy bottomed pan add 1 TBS of the Olive Oil.  Heat on medium.  Break up the sausage meat and add to the pan.  Let the sausage meat brown well on all sides by moving it around the pan every 6 minutes or so.  Should take about 15 minutes.  Add an additional TBS of the Olive oil, wait 3 minutes,  and then add the garlic.  Let this saute’ for 2 minutes and then add the wine.  Deglaze the whole pan (LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN SAUCE YOU JUST MADE!! SMELLS GREAT RIGHT??).  Now add the tomato and bring to a boil.  Add the Beans, Mix well and check for seasoning.  Let this cook for 20 minutes.  Chop the spinach and add it at this point.  Stir.  Continue cooking for 20 minutes on low.  Now you’re done.  Check for Seasonings. Cook this dish till it gets to a consistency you like.  It like it when it’s at a thick stew consistency.  Much of that happens if you cook in on one day, and let it cool down and reheat it the next.  Serve the finished hot dish with Pecorino for grating, Extra Olive Oil for Drizzling, and Peperoncino for the spice.  Will last in the fridge up to 3 days.  BUON APPETITO!!! HAPPY COOKING!!! serve this is great bread!!

Advertisement