Creamy Mascarpone Butter Beans with Sausage and Gremolata

by Claire Thomson
Star 4.9
    15m prep time
    35m total time
    Easy level
    14 ingredients

I’m a big fan of using good-quality sausages, removed from their casings, to use in a base for bean (also pasta) recipes. Well- seasoned, they bring an easy, instant flavour boost to a dish and don’t tend to cost all that much. As ingredients go, I find a little goes a long way, which, if you do eat meat, is a good maxim for using less and buying the best quality your budget can stretch to. One sausage per person is ample to flavour the beans and enough to feed four people, for example. If you want to keep this recipe meat-free, omit the sausages; I might be tempted to sauté some mushrooms in with the garlic to add extra oomph to the beans. Mascarpone makes these beans extra rich and creamy, and the gremolata is a fine accompaniment; using it in the beans, on the toast and also on the beans to serve ensures everything sings.

Method

Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.

Step 1

Using wet hands, break up the sausages into small chunks.

Step 2

In a large pan over a moderate heat, fry the sausage meat chunks in the olive oil for 5–8 minutes until cooked and beginning to caramelise. Then add the sliced garlic (2 cloves if cooking for 4) and cook for a further 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 3

Stir in the tomatoes and lower the heat. Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and rich.

Step 4

Meanwhile, chop together the parsley, lemon zest and grated garlic (1 clove if cooking for 4) until very finely chopped to make the gremolata. Put to one side.

Step 5

Add the mascarpone and nutmeg to the tomato and sausages and mix well. Check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 6

Stir in the beans and their stock and half the gremolata. Top with the chilli flakes (if using).

Step 7

Top the toasted bread slices with the beans and sprinkle over the remaining gremolata, the shaved parmesan and extra chilli flakes.
  • Ingredients
  • Based on 4 servings
  • 150g Mascarpone 1 x Sainsbury's Mascarpone Cheese 250g
  • 2 Unwaxed Lemon Zest, pith removed 1 x Sainsbury's Lemons
  • 570g jar Cooked Butter Beans 1 x Bold Bean Co Queen Butter Beans 570g
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste, 1 x Santa Maria Extra Fine Selection of Spices Tellicherry Black Pepper
  • 20g Parmesan, shaved or grated 1 x Sainsbury's Grana Padano Cheese 200g
  • 4 Good Quality Pork Sausages, skins removed and meat squeezed out 1 x Heck 97% Pork Gluten Free Sausages x6 400g
  • 2tbsp Olive Oil 1 x Sainsbury's Olive Oil 500ml
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, 2 thinly sliced, 1 roughly chopped 1 x Sainsbury's Large Garlic
  • 30g Parsley, roughly chopped 1 x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Flat Leaf Parsley 30g
  • 400g Chopped Tomatoes Or Polpa, finely chopped tomatoes 1 x Sainsbury's Chopped Tomatoes Can 400g
  • 0.25 Whole Nutmeg, freshly grated 1 x Sainsbury's Whole Nutmeg 36g
  • 1 Chilli Flakes, optional, plus more to serve 1 x Sainsbury's Crushed Chillies 85g
  • Maldon Salt, to taste 1 x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g
  • 4 thick slices Bread, toasted and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil 1 x Jason's Sourdough The Great White Bread 450g
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