One Pot Creamy Beans with Sausage
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Sausage crumbled and browned, garlic and tomato paste seared briefly for toasty depth. Baby spinach wilts down until just shy of limp, mingling with tangy sun-dried tomatoes cut fine. Cream stirred in to coat thick white beans—Lima or cannellini both work, just rinse off the salt. Basil thrown in last, just enough to wake up the savory richness. Serve with crunchy grilled bread, soak up the sauce. A cozy, hearty main that’s quick but rewards paying attention to texture and aroma cues. No need for heavy cream if 15% is used; watch sauce thicken, not scorch. Sub tomatoes paste for fresh cherry chopped if no paste at home, you get a mild sweetness punch instead. Tried more spice once — overpowers the beans; subtlety wins here.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
37 min
Servings:
4 to 6 servings
#Italian
#one pot
#dinner
#sausage
#beans
#spinach
#comfort food
Happened upon this combo out of pantry limits, sausage, beans, cream—simple but satisfying. Sausage browning is where flavor builds; too little and meat tastes pale, too much and it hardens. Garlic and tomato paste add punch without overshadowing fresh spinach and sun-dried tomato sweet tang. The cream thins, clings, and brings all together. Timing the simmer to catch the right sauce consistency is key; too long splits the cream, too short makes it watery. Basil at the end is non-negotiable; loses brightness if cooked too long. Tried swapping sausage for chorizo once; smoky spicy works but changes whole mood. Beans swap fine—cannellini or butter beans are great. Hands-on feel with leaves wilting and sauce simmering makes all the difference.
Ingredients
- 320 g crumbled Italian sausage, mild or spicy
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 20 ml tomato paste
- 140 g baby spinach (about 6 cups)
- 70 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, julienned
- 2 cans 398 ml each white beans or Lima beans, rinsed and drained
- 250 ml 15% cooking cream or substitute with full fat coconut milk for dairy-free twist
- 25 ml fresh chopped basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- Grilled bread slices to serve
About the ingredients
Sausage quality defines much here. I prefer Italian sausage, spicy or mild, but ground pork with fennel seed and chili flakes can stand in. Tomato paste is preferred for that deep umami, but diced sundried tomatoes double up flavor if missing. Spinach should be fresh, not frozen—frozen adds water, diluting sauce. Beans: rinse cans well—excess salt kills subtle sausage flavor. Cream adds richness and acidity balance, but 15% cooking cream is cheaper and behaves well; 35% heavier but watch fat break. For dairy-free, go full-fat coconut milk—it changes taste but keeps creaminess. Olive oil must be decent quality; cheap oils can smell waxy on heat. Basil fresh, not dried—opt out if no fresh, but it’s a flavor miss.
Method
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high flame; crumble sausage in, stirring constantly. Timer less important than hearing the sizzle turn from fat popping to meat browning. Break it up well, no clumps.
- Add minced garlic and tomato paste; stir 1 minute till fragrant but not burnt — garlic browns super fast, watch edges get golden, not black.
- Toss in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Spinach should soften, lose volume; wait till leaves fold, a gentle wilt, not soggy drench. Tomatoes soak in immediate heat, releasing oily flavor.
- Pour drained beans and cream in. Season lightly with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Bring just to simmer, bubbles teasing surface, then drop heat to low. Let sauce thicken naturally; about 3 to 4 minutes but trust texture, sauce coats spoon thickly yet still pourable.
- Stir in chopped basil just before removing from heat. Smell that hit of fresh herb? That’s the sign to stop cooking or flavor dulls. Taste and adjust salt/pepper last minute.
- Dish warm into bowls, scatter more basil on top. Toasted bread on side essential for mopping sauce.
Cooking tips
Don’t rush sausage browning; let it develop color but avoid crisping too hard, you want soft crumbles that soak sauce. Garlic cooks in moments; if it smells burnt, toss and start fresh garlic—no bitterness allowed here. Tomato paste must fry briefly to lose rawness, else the sauce tastes flat. Spinach wilting is about texture, do not overcook or leaves turn to sadness—vibrant dark green is the goal. Beans added last give the body; stirring gently avoids mashing. Simmer time varies with pan heat; watch bubbles and thickness, a sauce that clings just right, not gluey. Basil goes in last because overheat kills the aroma and color—fold gently. Serve hot, straight away. Accompany with charred bread, crunchy contrast essential for texture play. Leftovers reheat well but add splash of cream or water to loosen if thickened too much overnight.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brown sausage on medium-high, but listen closely. Sizzle changes as fat renders—stop before crisp hard edges form. Crumbles soft but color deep; no burning. More color means deeper flavor but risk dry meat.
- 💡 Garlic cooks crazy fast. Add it once sausage shows color. Stir only briefly or edges burn bitter, ruins whole mix. Tomato paste follows right after; fry just a minute. Raw paste tastes flat, overcook it and sour notes kick in.
- 💡 Spinach wilts in seconds, volume drops big time. Watch carefully; shut heat as leaves fold but not soggy mush. Sun-dried tomatoes in oil soak heat fast, release that oily punch. Julienne finely to disperse flavor evenly.
- 💡 Beans rinse well — salt kills subtle sausage flavors. Use cannellini or Lima, but don’t mash. Pour cream after beans, keep heat low to avoid curdle. 15% cream stretches sauce nicely. Swap for coconut milk if dairy-free, taste shifts but creaminess stays.
- 💡 Basil goes in last, off heat ideally. Heat dulls aroma and turns leaf dark quick. Chop fresh only; dried kills punch. Toasted bread crucial: crunchy texture contrast. Leftovers thicken up, add splash cream or water when reheating.
Common questions
Can chorizo replace Italian sausage?
Yes, smoky and spicy. Changes flavor forward. Use mild if want less heat. Fat content varies, so watch browning closely. May need quicker handling to avoid dryness.
What if sauce splits or curdles?
Likely too hot. Lower heat quick or remove pan. Stir gently to recombine. Use lower fat cream or add starchy bean water to stabilize. Coconut milk less prone but flavors as coconut.
How to store leftovers?
Airtight container fridge up to three days usually. Sauce thickens a lot; loosen with cream, milk, or warm water when reheating. Freeze okay but texture shifts. Toast bread fresh every time.
Can I skip sun-dried tomatoes?
Yes, fresh cherry tomatoes chopped add sweetness but less concentrated tang. Tomato paste does bulk of umami. Without either, sauce less depth. Try adding a splash balsamic for balance.
