I have had this particular cookbook on my shelf for several years. I suspect it was one of those Good Cook specials that showed up unrequested, as I forgot yet another reply to say no. Yet, I kept the book. Mostly, because I had opened the package and didn’t want to pay to ship it back, but secondly, because the cover was enticing. It has a photo of a delicious looking white bean stew on its cover, and I’ve always wanted to make it.
A few weeks ago, I finally did.
This is a rustic dish, full of flavor, and full of possibilities. If I closed my eyes I could picture myself in Tuscany (though I’ve never been) sitting at the table of a country woman who’d been cooking this very dish for years- having learned it from her grandmother at a very young age. The actual cooking of this dish was pure pleasure, as aroma after aroma wafted up from the various cooking pots, teasing along the way. When I finally tasted it, I knew it was worth the wait, and I also knew this cookbook was worth keeping for just this recipe.
I have to warn though, this stew tasted fantastic the first day, served piping hot with garlic bread and gnocchi, but it was the second day where it really shone. All the flavors had time to blend and become so much more than the sum of its parts as it sat overnight in the fridge. The leftovers I’ll talk more about tomorrow. If at all possible though, do try and make this one a day in advance. This would be a great candidate for weekend cooking, meant to be reheated during the week, because the time in the fridge was magic on this humble pot of stew.
One final note- fresh sage is worth seeking out here. I grow it in my garden, so I used about 14 sage leaves total for the tablespoon called for. If you must use dried sage, make sure you use rubbed sage and not the sage that is completely powdered.
By the way, this recipe comes from the book Ready When You Are by Martha Rose Shulman. The whole book is devoted to one-dish meals, and I think I’ll be spending time flipping through this one in the weeks to come.
Tuscan White Beans with Sage and Sausage
1 pound dried cannellini or Great Northern beans, washed, picked over, and soaked for 6 hours or overnight. (I soaked overnight) 1 medium or large onion. 1 whole clove 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chopped or slivered fresh sage (or more to taste) 1 bay leaf Salt 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed, sliced or crumbled 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used more- love parsley!) 1 pound fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped with juice (I used two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juices. One can was Italian herbs added) Freshly ground black pepperDirections:
Drain the beans and combine with 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring very slowly to the boil. Meanwhile, cut the onion and half and stick one half with the lone clove. Chop the other half of the onion and set aside. When the water reaches a boil, skim off any foam. Add the onion with the clove, 2 of the garlic cloves, half the sage and the bay leaf. Turn the heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste and simmer another 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender all the way through but still intact. Drain over a bowl and measure 2 1/2 cups of the broth. (Reserve the remaining broth for another use if desired)
*Advance prep notice* Prepare the beans up to 2 days in advance before proceeding with the recipe. Store in the fridge.
While the beans are cooking, heat a large, heavy flame-proof casserole over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook, stirring, until the sausage has browned lightly and rendered its fat. Remove from heat and remove the sausage from the pan. Pour off the fat. (*Note: I left the fat in for added flavor and then used less olive oil. Pour off if desired.)
Add the olive oil to the pan, heat for a moment, and add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes, and add the remaining garlic. Stir together for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and add the sausage, tomatoes, and the remaining sage. Season to taste with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant. At this point, if the beans are not yet cooked through, turn off the heat and resume when the beans are ready.
*Advance prep notice* The sausage and tomato mixture can be prepared before you cook the beans, and up to 2 days ahead of time. Store in fridge.
Add the white beans and the reserved 2 1/2 cups of their broth to the tomatoes. Bring back to a simmer, stir together, turn the heat to very low, cover, and cook gently for 30 minutes. Add pepper, taste, and adjust the seasonings. For the best flavor, refrigerate overnight and reheat. Add more fresh sage if desired.
For a vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage and follow the recipe as written.