A Taste of Tuscany: Cannellini Beans with Sausage

Creamy cannellini beans with savory notes of garlic and fragrant herbs serve as the base for this Tuscan inspired meal. The beans are topped with roasted garlic and herb chicken sausage and a brown butter sage sauce. A quick and flavorful weeknight meal, it captures the taste of Tuscany.

Cannellini beans have been a staple in Tuscan cuisine for centuries. They provided a good source of protein for those who could rarely afford meat. Once an essential food of the poor, today beans are popular throughout Tuscany..

When we have traveled to Tuscany, we too have enjoyed cannellini beans. Not only in village trattorias but in trendy restaurants as well. We’ve had cannellini beans as a topping on crostini. Other times, they have been ingredients in soups, salads and pasta.

The recipe I’m sharing with you is reminiscent of those flavorful Tuscan beans. Traditional recipes are usually made with dried beans. However, for this weeknight version I use canned beans.

Even in Italy, canned beans are a practical part of the modern Italian kitchen. They are a convenient shortcut that still fits the spirit of rustic Italian cooking. 

As in Italy, I like to use fresh herbs and first pressed Italian extra virgin olive oil. The beans have a great taste but can be prepared quickly.

In Tuscan eateries, beans are often listed as a side. At Ristorante del Fagioli, they accompanied both sausage and Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick-cut, bone-in porterhouse or T-bone steak

In this recipe, I served the beans with sausage. I have made this dish with both mild or hot Italian sausage and they are both delicious with beans. For a quick weeknight meal, you can use fully cooked sausage as I did. You can read more about the sausage in Notes From The Kitchen.

For a special touch, I added brown butter sage to the sausage. The crispy sage and butter sauce is a simple, nutty and aromatic addition. All it requires is cooking butter with fresh sage leaves until the butter turns golden brown and the sage crisps. The key is gentle heat and watching for the butter’s color change from foamy yellow to amber-brown.

If you find yourself short on time, this humble rustic dish is great. The meal can be prepared in as little as 30 minutes. It helps get dinner on the table quickly. It is made from simple pantry ingredients yet delivers complex, gourmet flavors.

Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.

The sausage and beans are very good on their own. If you want a more substantial dinner, a refreshing citrus or arugula salad would be terrific. Add a slice of crusty bread and a glass of robust Chianti wine for a quick comforting evening meal..

Cannellini Beans and Sausage with Brown Butter Sage

Serves 2 – 4 depending on portion size adjust the recipe accordingly

Ingredients for Sausage with Brown Butter Sage

• 1 – 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (3 oz.) Italian sausage per person. I used fully cooked roasted garlic and herb chicken sausage. * See note below if using fresh sausage.
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 6 large sage leaves

Ingredients for Cannellini Beans

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. each of chopped fresh parsley, sage and thyme
• 1 tsp. of chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cans (15 oz.) cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed or 4 cups cooked white beans of your choice
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional for added flavor)

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4 qt. saucepan over medium heat and brown the sausages on all sides. about 3 – 4 minutes. Remove the sausages and keep warm until ready to serve.
2. Add the onions to the same pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken broth and simmer for a 3 – 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
4. Add the beans, season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes.
5. Mash a few of the beans with the side of a spoon. Continue to cook until the beans are soft and the mixture develops a velvety texture. While the beans are cooking prepare the brown butter sage.
6. Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add sage leaves and let them gently sizzle, stirring occasionally, until butter is brown and the sage is crisp. Place the sage leaves on a paper towel and reserve the brown butter. *
7. To serve, cut the sausages part way through and put pieces of the fried sage leaves in each cut.
8. Place beans in individual serving bowls, drizzle with the reserved brown butter and top with a sausage. If you wish, serve grated cheese with the beans for extra flavor.

NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN*

• When making brown butter, use a light colored pan to watch the color change of the milk solids. A dark or nonstick pan makes it difficult to see when it’s done.
• When browning butter, watch and stir constantly. It goes from golden to burnt in a heartbeat.
• Canned beans can contain added salt. However, you can buy low and no sodium versions.
• If you want to further reduce the sodium content on canned beans you can drain and rinse them.
• If you want to use dry beans to control the ingredients you cook with that is fine. It is easy to reduce or remove salt, sugars, and any other ingredients you prefer to not use.
• To use dried beans for the recipe, use 3 cups cooked beans and about 2 cups of their cooking liquid.
• If fresh herbs are not available, the general conversion ratio is 3 parts fresh equals 1 part dry.
• Fully cooked sausage are pre-cooked and just need heating, making them a good protein for quick meals. Besides traditional pork sausages, there are poultry based versions as well.
• If using fresh raw sausage, use a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage and a splash of water. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking, turning every 2–3 minutes. Total cook time: 12–15 minutes

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I first shared this recipe on this blog years ago with another bean recipe. With well over a hundred comments, it is one of my most popular recipes. I thought I would update it and share it with new readers who stop by. It is reminiscent of a meal enjoyed in Italy.

Do you prepare beans often? If so, do you use a variety of beans? Have you been to Tuscany and had the many bean dishes they are famous for?

Cannellini Beans and Sausage with Brown Butter Sage

A rustic Tuscan-style weeknight bowl: cannellini beans simmered with fresh herbs, topped with Italian sausage and a crispy brown-butter-sage drizzle.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Sausage with Brown Butter Sage

• 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 per person Italian sausage (3 oz) fully cooked garlic/herb chicken sausage used; see notes for fresh
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 6 large sage leaves

Cannellini Beans

• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp each fresh parsley, sage, thyme chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 2 cans (15 oz) cannellini or great northern beans rinsed (or 4 cups cooked white beans)
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• Pecorino Romano freshly grated (optional)

Method

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-qt saucepan over medium heat and brown the sausages on all sides, about 3–4 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
2. Add the onions to the same pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and the chopped parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; cook 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken broth and simmer 3–5 minutes to blend the flavors.
4. Add the beans, season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes.
5. Mash a few of the beans with the side of a spoon. Continue cooking until soft and velvety. Meanwhile, prepare the brown butter sage.
6. Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add sage leaves and let them gently sizzle, stirring occasionally, until butter is brown and the sage is crisp. Place sage on a paper towel and reserve the brown butter.
7. To serve, cut sausages part way through and tuck fried sage leaves into each cut. Place beans in bowls, drizzle with brown butter and top with a sausage. Optional: grated Pecorino.

Notes

When making brown butter, use a light-colored pan so you can see the color change of the milk solids — it goes from golden to burnt fast. Canned beans often contain salt; look for low- or no-sodium versions, or drain and rinse. If using fresh (uncooked) sausage instead of fully cooked, brown longer to cook through.