Pork Sausage and Cannellini Bean Cassoulet

Hearty sausages and wholesome cannellini beans make this Cassoulet the perfect companion for a cold winter's night.

8 thick pork sausages, about 800 grams

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 cup red wine

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 zucchini, diced

2 x 400 gram tins whole Italian tomatoes

1½ cups (375 ml) tomato passata

1 x 400 gram tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

28cm oven-proof casserole dish with a lid
 

Pre-heat the oven to 175°c

Heat the olive oil in the casserole dish over a medium heat and brown the sausages on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add the fennel, onion and fennel seeds to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until nicely caramelized, but not burnt. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, then add the carrots, zucchini, tomatoes and the tomato passata and bring to the boil.

Add the sausages back to the dish, nestling them into the sauce.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir in the cannellini beans. Place back in the oven and cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the sausages are browned on the top.

Delicious served with crusty bread or creamy mashed potatoes.