Cannellini with Sausage

INGREDIENTS
1          tablespoon olive oil
2          Italian sausages, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
1          large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3          large cloves garlic, minced
1          cup POMI chopped tomatoes
1          bay leaf
1          teaspoon dried thyme
1          teaspoon dried basil
1          cup beef broth
1          tablespoon tomato paste
1          can Cannellini beans (15 ounce)

METHOD
In a medium skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat and brown the sausage slices. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet. Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes and add the sausage pieces, tomato, bay leaf, thyme, basil, beef broth  and tomato paste..

Increase heat to bring this to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove the bay leaf and add the beans, stirring them in. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the beans are warmed, remove from the heat and serve.

TO START WITH DRY BEANS

Use 1 pound of dry beans. Pick through them to remove any rocks and bad beans and rinse. Cover with 6 cups of water n a large sauce pan, cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Add at the same place in the recipe, but extend final cooking time until beans are tender, 45 to 50 minutes or longer.

SLOW COOKER RECIPE

Prepare as above with dry beans and place everything into a slow cooker for the final cooking time. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 10 hours. Neither of the dry bean options have been tested in my kitchen, but I have them both “on good authority“ from the Internet.