Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Skillet
Italian sausage, cannellini beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a rich tomato-herb broth — no cream needed. The bean liquid does the work, creating a naturally thick, savory sauce in 25 minutes. One skillet, serious depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage casings removed
Produce
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups baby spinach packed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley roughly chopped, for garnish
Dairy
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 2 cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed — reserve the liquid from one can
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes oil-packed, drained and roughly chopped — reserve 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 14 oz
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional — reduce if using hot sausage
Instructions
- Heat the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for 5 to 6 minutes until deeply browned. Do not drain — the rendered sausage fat is the flavor base for the entire dish.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1 minute until it darkens slightly and coats the pan.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Pour in the reserved bean liquid from one can — about ½ cup. The bean liquid adds body and a creamy starchiness to the broth without any cream. Stir to combine.
- Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth has thickened and the flavors have melded. Use the back of a spoon to lightly crush a few beans against the side of the pan — this thickens the sauce further without any additional ingredients.
- Remove from heat. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted — about 1 minute from the residual heat. Stir in the grated parmesan. Taste and adjust salt.
- Serve directly from the skillet, garnished with fresh parsley and extra parmesan. Crusty bread alongside is strongly recommended.
Notes
The reserved bean liquid is the secret to this recipe's texture. Cannellini bean liquid is naturally starchy and slightly thick — it builds body in the broth in exactly the way heavy cream would, without adding dairy. Do not skip it and do not rinse the beans over a sink without catching that liquid first.
Lightly crushing a few beans against the side of the pan during the simmer is the other thickness trick. Three or four beans broken down is enough — you want most of them whole for texture but the broken ones melt into the sauce and thicken it noticeably.
Sweet Italian sausage is a direct swap for hot. The dish will be milder — lean into the red pepper flakes if you want heat. Chicken sausage works but add 1 tbsp olive oil since it renders less fat.
Leftovers keep for 4 days in the fridge and actually improve overnight as the flavors meld. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen. This freezes well for up to 3 months.
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