One-Pot Italian Sausage and White Bean Ragu over Polenta

Ragu has long been the hearty heart of Italian home cooking, built on a simple soffritto base. Here, Italian sausage and creamy cannellini beans simmer into a rich tomato sauce spooned over soft polenta for easy one-pot comfort.

Serves 5 · 15 min prep · 40 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 590 cal
• 29g protein
• 52g carbs
• 28g fat
• 12g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage, mild or hot
• 2 (15 oz) cans canned cannellini beans, drained
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings if needed and add to the pot. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook 6–7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer sausage to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
2. 2Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Season with salt and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent.
3. 3Stir in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning; cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the red wine (if using) and scrape up any browned bits; let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
4. 4Return the browned sausage to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, drained cannellini beans, chicken broth, remaining salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 20 minutes so flavors meld and the ragu thickens slightly.
5. 5Meanwhile, bring water and salt to a boil in a separate saucepan. Whisk in the instant polenta in a steady stream. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, 4–5 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir in half the Parmesan.
6. 6Taste the ragu and adjust seasoning. If it looks too thick, add a splash more broth. Stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.
7. 7Spoon a generous bed of creamy polenta into shallow bowls. Ladle the hot sausage and white bean ragu over the top.
8. 8Finish each bowl with remaining Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil if desired, and the last of the parsley. Serve immediately while the polenta is still soft and the ragu is bubbling.