Braised Fennel, Cannellini Beans, and Italian Sausage is a great slow cooker Italian dinner. Serve it with a crisp green salad and a loaf of crusty bread.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 5 hrs 25 mins
Yields: 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 (20-oz.) package mild Italian sausage links
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 fennel bulbs, chopped
1½ cups chopped onion
¾ cup chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Vegetable cooking spray
2 (15.5-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup radicchio, shredded
¼ to ⅓ cup shaved pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Directions
1Prick sausage casings with a fork or tip of sharp knife. Cook sausage links in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes, turning often to brown all sides.
2Place chopped fennel bulbs and next 6 ingredients in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with sausage in a single layer. Cover and cook on LOW 5 hours or until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked.
3Transfer sausage to a cutting board; cool slightly. Cut sausage diagonally into ¾-inch-thick pieces.
4Stir sausage, beans, and radicchio into fennel mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until the radicchio is wilted and tender. Top with cheese, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.