Rachel Roddy's Rustic Roman Recipe: Beans, Greens, and Sausages
Rachel Roddy's salsicce e cannellini, a dish of beans, greens, and sausages, captures the essence of traditional Roman cuisine. Inspired by a meal at Dal Cordaro, a hard-working trattoria near Porta Portese in Rome, this recipe brings the warmth and satisfaction of Italian comfort food to your kitchen. The combination of rich tomato sauce, tender beans, and flavorful sausages creates a hearty and adaptable stew that is perfect for any occasion.
The Benefits of Beans: Tinned vs. Dried
Using dried beans offers several advantages, including reduced packaging, cost savings, and the flavorful starchy cooking water. A 500g bag of dried beans, costing around £2.50, yields approximately 1.5kg of cooked beans, making it an economical choice. However, tinned beans provide instant convenience, requiring only a ring-pull to access—though occasional issues with stubborn tins might necessitate a tin opener or creative solutions like a parmesan knife.
For this recipe, tinned borlotti or cannellini beans work perfectly, but soaked and cooked beans can also be used, along with a bit of their cooking broth for added depth. The dish is highly accommodating, allowing for variations with different types of sausages, such as 100% pork with fennel seeds, sausages containing rusk, or even seitan bratwurst for a vegetarian option.
Inspiration from a Roman Trattoria
The inspiration for this dish came from Dal Cordaro, a trattoria located behind the 17th-century Porta Portese gate in Rome's Aurelian wall. While the restaurant offered many delightful dishes, including braised artichokes, oxtail stew, and pasta with chickpeas, it was the plate of beans in a rich, orange-tinted tomato sauce with poached sausages and escarole greens that stood out. This satisfying combination evokes the comforting qualities of both homemade baked beans and classic breakfast-in-a-tin, with sausages gaining a plump, jellied texture from poaching in the sauce.
Recipe: Beans with Greens and Sausages
Serves 4
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4-8 pork or vegetarian sausages
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 1 sprig sage
- 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes, crushed or passed through a food mill
- 1 tsp tomato concentrate
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 400g tins borlotti or cannellini beans, drained well
- 250g greens – such as spinach or endive
- In a heavy-based pan or casserole dish over medium-low heat, warm two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sausages and turn regularly until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the sausages from the pan; they will be cooked further later.
- Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan, then stir in the diced onion. Once the onion is soft, add the sage sprig. After a minute or two, incorporate the tinned tomatoes, tomato concentrate, chilli flakes, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to break up any lumps.
- Pour in a glass of warm water, return the sausages to the pan, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, turning regularly. Add more water if the sauce thickens too much. Adjust timing for vegetarian sausages as needed.
- Once the sausages are cooked through, stir in the drained beans and simmer for an additional five minutes. Add the greens and stir until they wilt completely into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as required.
Serving Suggestions and Final Thoughts
This stew is a complete and satisfying meal on its own, but it pairs wonderfully with thick slices of toast rubbed lightly with garlic and brushed with melted butter or olive oil for mopping up the sauce. At Dal Cordaro, the dish is often followed by seasonal fruit or desserts like cherry and ricotta tart, with tinned pineapple offering a sweet and nostalgic finish. Whether using tinned or dried beans, this recipe brings a taste of Roman tradition to your table, offering flexibility and comfort in every bite.
