Italian White Bean and Sausage Stew
Description
Bursting with beans, greens, and sausage, Chef John's Italian white bean and sausage stew recipe is comforting and nutritious and warms you throughout.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups dry cannellini beans
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4 (6 ounce) Italian sausage links with garlic and fennel
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1 cup chopped yellow onion
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1/3 cup dry white wine
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 bay leaf
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1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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6 cups water, or to taste
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1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
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4 cups chopped kale
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1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
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6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
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6 pinches red pepper flakes
Directions
1
Soak beans in cold water, 8 hours to overnight.
2
Drain beans and set aside.
3
Make a shallow cut, lengthwise, down center of each sausage link; peel off casings. Transfer bulk sausage to a dry soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook and stir until juices start to caramelize and stick to bottom of the pot, creating a fond, 3 to 5 minutes.
4
Add onion; stir to coat in rendered drippings. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to the pot while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Season with black pepper, bay leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes. Stir in water.
5
Add beans to the pot, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 30 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt; simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more. Taste beans to be certain they are perfectly cooked.
6
Smash about 1/4 beans with a potato masher for a creamy texture if desired. Stir in kale, increase heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
7
Drizzle servings with olive oil; sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pepper flakes.