Italian Sausage & White Bean Stew By Lidey Heuck

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages
• 1 Vidalia onion, cut in half through the stem and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 small garlic cloves, smashed
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, such as Goya, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chopped Tuscan kale, lightly packed (about 1 small bunch), see note
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly ground Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Rustic country bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the sausages and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally to brown them evenly. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, depending of the size of the sausages, until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, drain any excess fat from the pot, leaving only a thin coating of oil on the bottom. (Or, if the pot looks dry, add a splash of olive oil.) Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are browned and translucent.
4. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the beans, kale, tomatoes, chicken stock, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook at a full simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Discard the rosemary sprig and any large pieces of garlic. Using the back of a wooden spoon, press of some of the beans against the side of the pot to lightly mash them. Do this about 4 or 5 times until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, stir to combine, and then place the cooked sausages on top of the beans. Simmer for 3 more minutes, until the sausages are warmed through.
6. To serve, spoon some of the beans into the bottom of a shallow bowl or deep plate. Top with a sausage and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with bread on the side.

Note: To remove kale leaves from the stems, lay the leaves flat on a cutting board and cut down both sides of the center rib. Discard the ribs.