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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
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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.