Italian-American · main

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew reads umami 7.0, richness 5.4 and salinity 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 36 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Richness 5.4 · Salinity 4.8 · Allium 4.3 · Sweetness 3.9 · Sourness 2.2 · Fruity 2.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.0 · Heat 2.0 · Earthy 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Nutty 1.8 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 0.6 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (14)

• olive oil — 27 g
• sweet italian sausage — 454 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• carrots — 120 g
• garlic — 12 g
• red chili flakes — 1 g
• tomato paste — 30 g
• cannellini bean — 879 g
• tomatoes — 411 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 473 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• baby spinach — 710 g
• parmesan cheese — 38 g

Time & effort: about 36 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 40.9 kcal, 3.7 g protein, 1.8 g fat, 2.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until deeply browned, 6-7 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrots to the fat left in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly and coats the vegetables, about 2 minutes.
5. Return the sausage to the pan along with the cannellini beans, diced tomatoes and their juices, and chicken broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the stew has thickened slightly and the flavors meld, 15-18 minutes.
7. Using the back of a spoon, mash about 1 cup of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth, then stir to incorporate.
8. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted. Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls and top with more Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pasta Fagioli with Italian Sausage — Italian-American
• Spicy Sausage and Tortellini Soup — Italian-American
• Baked Ziti with Spinach and Ricotta — Italian-American
• Baked Stuffed Peppers with Sausage and Rice — Italian-American
• Ribollita (Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Stew) — Italian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.