Italian sausages and beans with garlic ciabatta (salsicce e fagioli con crostini all’aglio)

When I was filming the latest TV series I cooked this hearty casserole with Lake Garda behind me, after spending all day with the local rowing team in the beautiful resort town of Sirmione. This dish says so much about rustic Italian cooking – simple ingredients that balance each other perfectly and punchy flavours. For variety, replace the beans with lentils or chickpeas.

Italian sausages and beans with garlic ciabatta (salsicce e fagioli con crostini all’aglio). Credit: Dan Jones / Hodder & Stoughton

• serves

  5

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 90 ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 400 g tins borlotti beans
• 2 400 g tins cannellini beans
• 900 g Italian sausages or good-quality pork sausages, cut into pieces 4cm long
• 400 ml hot vegetable stock
• 3 tsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
• 1 ciabatta loaf, cut diagonally into slices 2 cm thick
• 1 large garlic glove, peeled

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole over a high heat. Add the onions, rosemary, chilli flakes and salt. Fry for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, drain any excess juices from the top of the beans. Do not drain completely, as the juices will help to create a smooth, thick sauce. Set aside.
3. Add the sausages to the pan and fry for 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Add the beans, stock and tomato purée, season with salt and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes (uncovered), stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a ridged cast-iron chargrill pan over a high heat for 5–10 minutes.
5. To make the garlic ciabatta, rub or brush a little oil on both sides of the bread. When the pan is very hot, lay the ciabatta in the pan and grill for about 1 minute each side or until dark golden brown. Rub the garlic clove over both sides of the toasts.
6. Divide the sausages and beans among warm bowls, sprinkle over the parsley and serve immediately with the garlic ciabatta.

Recipe and image from Gino’s Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (Hachette, HB $49.99).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.