I was at the hairdressers the other day and reading the Woman’s Day, (as one does at the hairdressers). The dismal affair of the horrible altercation between Nigella and her soon-to-be ex-husband was reported in gross detail.
This got me thinking about Nigellissima, again, so I took it to bed with me and tagged a few recipes that sounded good. I then gave Maus a choice for the next night’s dinner. She chose this dish.
I must say that Nigellissima has lots of very easy, tasty recipes in it. This is the third recipe I have made from the book and, when you have as many cookbooks as I do, that is saying something. Authentic Italian it is not but it doesn’t pretend to be. This meal took me no time to prepare and was exceptionally yummy. Even the fussy Maus thought so. It is definitely a repeater.
I didn’t follow the quantities exactly and used white wine instead of dry red vermouth but it is the type of recipe where quantities and minor differences don’t matter too much.
These quantities serve 4.
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- one clove of garlic, chopped
- 450g Italian sausages
- 60mls dry red vermouth (or white wine)
- 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained
- 1 x 290g jar flame-roasted capsicums, drained (the jar I bought was 340g). If the capsicum is not already cut into strips, slice it.
- 1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes in juice (or a 500ml jar of one’s preserved tomatoes :D)
- 3 bay leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
Method:
- Heat some olive oil in a casserole dish and brown the sausages.
- Remove the sausages from the pan. Set aside.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the wine. Allow it to hiss a bit.
- Add the tomatoes; rinse the can out with a bit of water and add that, too.
- Add the drained beans and capsicum strips.
- Slice the sausages diagonally into 2.5cm pieces and return them to the pan.
- Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- Bring to the boil.
- Place lid on the pan, reduce heat and let it simmer until the sausages are cooked through (about 15 minutes).
- Remove the lid, turn the heat up a bit and allow it to simmer an additional 5 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened a bit.
Nigella suggests serving this dish with crusty bread, which sounds great, but we didn’t have any so I served ours with steamed potatoes.
Passion Fruit Garden 
what a yum winter warmer 🙂
Hi Lisa
It was very nice indeed!
Yum! I’d happily eat that, with some of your sourdough bread! I think I can get Italian sausages up the road, must try this! x
Hi Celia, We are having left overs tonight and I am looking forward to it. It would be a great, no effort meal for the four of you. Sometimes that is just what you need!
That looks good. I make a dish which is much the same but I use whatever sausages I have in stock. H’mm . . . we may be having that tomorrow.
I like Nigella’s recipes ~ she doesn’t talk down to her audience and her recipes are usually practical.
Hi Pat. I am beginning to understand Nigella’s appeal. The book is filled with no effort dishes that taste bloody good. Couldn’t ask for more really. I have “How to Eat” (not that I need guidance on that one) as bed time reading at the moment.
This recipe is just as you described it, Glenda, quick to prepare and tasty. I bet it’s perfect on those chilly winter days. I’ll be sure to come back to it when our weather grows colder. Thanks.
Hi John. It is perfect to use up those preserved tomatoes. How are your tomato plants going?
They’re doing pretty well, Glenda, thank you. The problem now is my nemesis, The Squirrel, discovered them last Friday and has raided them every morning since. I’m now picking them when pink. Even so, I’m doing much better than the last few years, so, I’m really pleased. 🙂
A squirrel, how cute 🙂 (I bet you don’t think so). I was just reading Lisa’s post. She has possums and bandicoots in her vegie patch. The birds attack mine. It appears we all have our nemesis.
Hi Glenda
It does look yummy but Deb has a thing about sausages in dishes other than a BBQ sausage!! I may have to just cook it and see what happens!!!
Nigella is my favourite I love watching her cook she is so passionate about food.
Hi Gail. Tell Deb they are not ordinary sausages, they are Italian sausages. I am sure it will make a big difference 😀 Truly, this is so easy to make and very, very tasty. Need I say it, Nigella is gorgeous 🙂