White Beans and Pork Sausage with Pistachio-Lemon Crumble Recipe

White Bean Gratin with Pork Sausage — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Servings:

4 servings

Crisp white wine, floral lemon zest, and fragrant herbs cut through the rich bratwursts and creamy cannellini beans while pairing nicely with caramelized fennel and red onion in this comforting bake. If you want to make sure you have leftovers of the pistachio crumble, double the recipe — we love it scattered over soft cheeses, scrambled eggs, or avocado toast.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1 large lemon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium-size red onion, cut through core into 8 wedges
1 small fennel bulb, cut into 4 wedges
4 (4-ounce) bratwursts, pricked all over using tip of a small knife
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium chile de árbol, broken into small pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped Sicilian pistachios (see Note)
1/2 cup finely chopped mixed fresh tender herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, and mint)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using a vegetable peeler, remove wide (3- x 1/2-inch) strips of peel from half of lemon; set aside. Juice lemon; set aside 3 tablespoons juice in a small bowl. Reserve any extra juice for another use.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a deep, large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add onion and fennel, cut sides down. Cook, undisturbed, until cut sides are browned, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer vegetables, browned sides up, to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add bratwursts and 1 tablespoon oil; cook until browned on 2 sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to plate with fennel and onions.
Add lemon peel strips, garlic, and chile to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine to skillet, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to loosen browned bits. Bring wine mixture to a simmer over medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Stir in beans, broth, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Simmer, stirring occasionally and smashing about one-third of beans using back of a spoon, until bean mixture is somewhat creamy but still loose and brothy, 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil. Remove from heat. Nestle sausage mixture into skillet.
Bake in preheated oven until bean mixture is bubbly and a thermometer inserted in center of sausages registers 160°F, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together pistachios, herbs, remaining 1/4 cup oil, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
Remove skillet from oven; let cool 5 minutes. Spoon half of pistachio mixture over bean mixture; reserve remaining pistachio mixture to serve alongside.

Note

Prized for their vibrant green color and rich flavor, Sicilian pistachios can be found at specialty grocery stores or online at gustiamo.com.

Suggested pairing

Rusty Rastello, founder of Stone Cellar Investments, shared the inspiration for this recipe. To drink with it, he recommends a glass of 2021 Jolie-Laide Trousseau Gris. "Cannellini beans’ earthy nuttiness, lemon’s freshness, and herbal notes from fennel are all flavors you will find (in varying degrees) in the wine," he says. "The Jolie-Laide is perfect if you’re in the mood for something balancing and floral.”