This Italian Sausage & White Bean Skillet is hearty, cozy, and made with simple ingredients that don’t cost a fortune. Italian sausage, creamy white beans, tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan come together in one skillet for an easy dinner that’s perfect with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.
I love meals like this because they don’t require a long ingredient list to have a ton of flavor. The sausage does most of the heavy lifting, while the beans help stretch one pound of meat into a filling dinner for the whole family.
Plus, there’s something about putting a big skillet in the middle of the table with warm bread that makes a very inexpensive dinner feel a little more special. 😂
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly: White beans help stretch one pound of Italian sausage.
- One skillet: Less cleanup after dinner.
- Ready in about 30 minutes: Perfect for a busy weeknight.
- Hearty and filling: You’ve got sausage, beans, vegetables, and bread all in one meal.
- Easy to customize: Use whatever greens, beans, or sausage you already have.
- Great for leftovers: The flavors are even better after sitting overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- French or Italian bread, for serving
How to Make Italian Sausage & White Bean Skillet
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the Italian sausage and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
- Pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and the drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
- Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
- Add the baby spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until wilted.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Serve warm with toasted French or Italian bread for dipping.
Tips for the Best Sausage & White Bean Skillet
Don’t drain the tomatoes. The liquid from the can becomes part of the flavorful broth.
Rinse the beans. Draining and rinsing canned beans removes some of the excess sodium and the thick liquid from the can.
Let it simmer. Those 8–10 minutes give the beans time to soak up some of the sausage, garlic, tomato, and broth flavors.
Add Parmesan at the end. Stirring it in after removing the skillet from the heat adds richness and helps give the broth a slightly creamy finish.
Don’t forget the bread. Technically it’s optional. But you’re going to have all that flavorful broth sitting at the bottom of the bowl, so I’m just saying… 😂
Easy Substitutions
This is a great recipe for using whatever you already have.
Great Northern or navy beans can replace the cannellini beans.
You can also swap the baby spinach for kale. Kale takes a little longer to soften, so give it a few extra minutes to simmer.
Hot Italian sausage works if your family likes a little heat, or you can use turkey Italian sausage for a lighter option.
If you don’t have fresh spinach, frozen spinach works too. Thaw it first and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
Want It Creamier?
For an even richer version, stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end.
You don’t need much—about ¼ cup is plenty to turn the tomato and Parmesan broth into a lightly creamy sauce.
I kept it out of the main recipe because the butter and Parmesan already add richness, and I’m always trying to avoid adding an ingredient unless it actually needs to be there.
What to Serve With Italian Sausage & White Beans
Crusty French or Italian bread is my first choice because it’s perfect for soaking up the broth.
You could also serve this with:
- Garlic bread
- A simple side salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Green beans
- Parmesan toast
For a lower-carb option, skip the bread and add extra spinach or another vegetable to the skillet.
How to Store & Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
The beans will continue soaking up some of the broth while they sit, so you may want to add a splash of chicken broth when reheating.
Warm individual portions in the microwave or gently reheat everything in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cannellini beans?
Cannellini beans are large Italian white beans with a mild flavor and creamy texture. They’re great for soups, stews, and skillet meals because they absorb flavor really well.
Can I use a different type of white bean?
Absolutely. Great Northern beans or navy beans are both easy substitutes.
Can I use ground sausage instead of links?
Yes! Ground Italian sausage is actually the easiest option for this recipe. If you buy sausage links, just remove the casings before cooking.
Can I make this spicy?
Yes. Use hot Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper flakes.
Can I make this without spinach?
Definitely. Leave it out or replace it with kale or another vegetable you already have.
Is this supposed to be a soup?
No. It should be a saucy skillet dinner with enough flavorful broth for dipping bread, but it shouldn’t be as liquidy as soup.
If yours has more liquid than you’d like, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
Budget-Friendly Tip
Beans are one of the easiest ways to stretch meat without making dinner feel skimpy.
Instead of needing two pounds of sausage, we’re combining one pound of Italian sausage with a can of white beans. The beans soak up all that sausage, garlic, tomato, and Parmesan flavor while adding more volume and making the meal much more filling.
Add an inexpensive loaf of bread, and you’ve got a hearty family dinner from ingredients that are mostly pantry and refrigerator staples.
That’s exactly the kind of budget cooking I love not necessarily eating the cheapest thing possible, but figuring out how to make less expensive ingredients taste really, really good. 💛
Italian Sausage & White Bean Skillet
Description
This Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet combines sausage, cannellini beans, tomatoes and spinach for an easy, budget-friendly 30-minute dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
-
Add the Italian sausage and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, drain excess grease if necessary.
-
Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
-
Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
-
Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
-
Pour in the chicken broth.
-
Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and the drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
-
Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
-
Add the baby spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until wilted.
-
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan.
-
Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
-
Serve warm with toasted French or Italian bread for dipping.
