Stewed sausage with green beans

Ingredients

• 800 gpork sausages, preferably with provolone
• 1onion
• 4 mediumcarrots
• 200 gfrozen peas
• 500 gfrozen green beans
• 400 gchopped peeled tomatoes
• 100 ml (½ glass)dry white wine
• 1vegetable stock cube
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)extra-virgin olive oil
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper
• enough to barely cover the meat and vegetableshot water

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the onion

   Peel the onion and chop it finely.

2. 2

   Cut the carrots

   Scrape and trim the carrots, then wash and dry them. Cut two into thin rounds.

3. 3

   Grate the carrots

   Grate the remaining two carrots. Pour 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of oil into a non-stick casserole.

4. 4

   Soften the vegetables

   Cook the onion and both the grated and sliced carrots in the oil until softened. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

5. 5

   Add sausage and peas

   Stir in the chopped peeled tomatoes, sausages and peas. Season moderately with salt and add pepper.

6. 6

   Cook the beans

   Cook for 5 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for another 5 minutes so they take on the flavour of the sauce.

7. 7

   Add stock and water

   Add the vegetable stock cube and enough hot water to just cover the meat and vegetables.

8. 8

   Simmer covered

   Bring to a simmer and cook over a medium heat with the casserole covered.

9. 9

   Reduce the sauce

   A few minutes before turning off the heat, uncover the casserole and raise the heat to reduce the sauce.

10. 10

    Cut and serve

    Cut the sausages into chunks and serve them with their sauce and vegetables.

What is stewed sausage with green beans?

This is a homely Italian-style one-pot stew of pork sausage and vegetables in a tomato-based sauce. Its ingredients are familiar across Italian home cooking, where sausages are often simmered with vegetables and served with plenty of their cooking juices.

Here, grated and sliced carrots give the sauce both body and texture, while peas and green beans make it a substantial meal. Sausage, especially the suggested provolone-filled kind, seasons the vegetables as it cooks.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 950 calories, 40g protein, 36g carbs, 72g fat.

The sausage supplies most of the protein and fat, while carrots, peas and tomatoes contribute much of the carbohydrate and fibre. The sausage, stock cube and added salt also make the sodium content variable; balance the plate with a generous side salad or other vegetables, and go lightly on extra salt.

Building the vegetable base

Onion: chop it finely so it softens evenly and blends into the sauce rather than leaving large pieces.

Carrots: grating two helps thicken the tomato mixture; thin rounds from the other two keep distinct, tender bites. Keep the rounds thin so they cook through in the same time as the rest.

Choosing the sausage

Sausage: the recipe calls for pork sausage, preferably with provolone. If yours is in a casing, leave it intact while simmering, then cut it into chunks just before serving as directed.

Seasoning: sausage and the stock cube both bring salt, so season modestly at first. Taste the sauce near the end and adjust only if needed.

Getting the sauce right

Wine: let the white wine bubble after adding it so its alcohol evaporates before the tomatoes go in. Scrape the base of the casserole as it cooks to loosen any browned flavour.

Reduction: keep the casserole covered for the main cooking stage, then uncover and raise the heat for the final few minutes. The sauce should coat the sausage and vegetables rather than remain watery.

Cooking the frozen vegetables

Peas and beans: add the peas with the tomatoes and sausages, then give the green beans their own 5 minutes in the sauce before adding the hot water. This staged addition follows the recipe and helps the beans absorb the seasoning.

Doneness: check that the carrots and beans are tender and the sausage is cooked through. Cooking time after the covered simmer begins is not specified, so use these cues rather than relying on an exact total time.

Serving the stew

Serve the sausage and vegetables with plenty of the reduced sauce. Bread is useful for mopping it up; alternatively, spoon the stew over polenta or alongside boiled potatoes for a more filling plate.

A crisp green salad can add freshness alongside this rich, savoury dish.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a wide, heavy-based casserole so the vegetables have room to soften evenly.
• Cut the carrot rounds thinly so they cook at a similar pace to the grated carrot.
• Add hot water rather than cold to bring the stew back to a simmer promptly.
• Keep the salt modest until the sausage and stock cube have flavoured the sauce.
• Uncover and reduce the sauce only near the end, as the recipe directs.
• Check that the sausage is cooked through before serving.

Variations

• Use fresh beans: trim and wash them, then add them in place of the frozen beans.
• Change the sausage: use plain pork sausage if provolone-filled sausage is unavailable.
• Add herbs: stir in a little chopped parsley just before serving for a fresh finish.
• Serve with polenta: spoon the stew and its sauce over soft polenta.
• Make it spicier: add a pinch of chilli flakes with the black pepper.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too much salt: the sausage and stock cube are already seasoned, so start with very little and taste near the end.
• Watery sauce: uncover the casserole and raise the heat for the final few minutes to reduce it.
• Thick carrot rounds: slice them thinly so they soften in time with the other vegetables.
• Adding cold water: use hot water so the stew can return to a simmer without a long pause.
• Cutting the sausage too early: keep it whole while it simmers, then cut it into chunks for serving.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened; avoid reheating more than once.

Frequently asked questions