Tuscan White Bean & Sausage Stew

• 6Italian-style pork sausages, about 360 g total
• 480 gtinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 tins)
• 200 mlchicken stock
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tspfennel seeds
• 100 gcavolo nero leaves, stalks removed and roughly torn
• 1onion, finely diced
• 4garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tspdried chilli flakes
• 100 mlwhite wine
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2carrots, finely diced
• Fine salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbspolive oil (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage meat from the skins in rough chunks straight into the pan and season with a pinch of salt. Work in two batches if your pan is on the smaller side; crowd it and the meat steams in its own moisture instead of browning, and you lose the deep savoury crust this stew is built on. Fry for 6–8 minutes, breaking the meat into craggy pieces with a spoon, until properly golden. Lift out and set aside, leaving the fat behind.
2. 2Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion and diced carrots to the pan and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and just starting to catch at the edges; that catch is flavour. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
3. 3Pour in the white wine and let it bubble hard for 2 minutes, scraping up any sticky brown bits from the base of the pan. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and the chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has darkened and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. 4Return the sausage meat along with any juices and tip in the cannellini beans. Simmer for 5 minutes until everything is piping hot and the sauce clings to the beans rather than pooling around them.
5. 5Stir in the cavolo nero and simmer for 5–6 minutes until tender. Check the sausage meat is cooked through and piping hot. Taste before adding salt and black pepper. Serve with the optional tablespoon of olive oil drizzled over the bowls.

Per serving

kcal

537

protein

25.4g

fibre

10.6g

carbs

36.2g

fat

30.7g