Such a versitile dish as you can really add what ever you would like into it, as long as you stick to the basics to develop the sauce. This is a very hearty dish, brilliant in the winter, but also lovely in the summer. We have had it with crusty bread and a glass or two of red wine. I could not get any fennel, the day I asked for it, which is a shame as it adds a wonderful flavour. Also last minute, I decided to fold some spinach into it, this is optional as is the parmesan cheese. Bon Appetito xxxx
Ingredients
- 1 stick of celery (finely chopped)
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 large carrot (finely chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pack of “Italian” style thick sausages
- 1 large can of butterbeans
- 1 can of black eyed beans
- 1 can of borlotti beans
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp of oregano
- 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbs of Lee & Perrins Worcester Sauce
- 1 pinch of salt for seasoning
- 1 tbs of olive oil
- 4 new cooked, cold potatoes (charlottes or similar)
Method
Cook your sausages in the ninja or in a frying pan, I cooked them in the for 14 minutes until they had a good colour as I have found that baking the sausages provides a nicer flavour and it allows for me to move on with the rest of the recipe.
While the sausages are cooking, we begin to make a Mediterranean based sauce which is called a sofrito, or soffritto, there seams to be many way to spell it. We start with the base of the sofrito by frying the chopped red onion and garlic until translucent in olive oil.
Add the chopped carrot, celery and bay leaves to the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, you need cannot leave this it needs to be stirred so not to burn or catch on the pan
Add the oregano, a crumbled chicken stock cube, the Worcester sauce and the two cans of chopped tomatoes. Stir it altogether then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer
At this point your sausages should be cooked, take them out of the Ninja, let them cool a little bit and cut them into large chunks and place them to one side
Drain your 3 cans of beans and stir them to the sauce. Let them simmer for 10 minutes
Add your cooked cold potatoes and your chopped sausages to the mix and give them a good stir around. I transferred the sauce to glass dishes to bake in the Ninja for eight minutes, but you don’t necessarily have to do this, as all of the dish can be cooked on your hob. I finished the dish in the Ninja because it really makes sure that all the flavour get into the sausage and also with the parmesan on top it really finishes it off. As I said this is a really versatile dish.
Comments