Servings: 4

Time: 40 minutes Time: 40 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage, cut into chunks 1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage, cut into chunks
1 red onion, chopped 1 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
Salt Salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste ⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 cup white wine or water (or bean-cooking liquid, if you’ve got it), plus more as needed 1 cup white wine or water (or bean-cooking liquid, if you’ve got it), plus more as needed
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked white beans (or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained) 3 cups cooked white beans (or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
4 thick bread slices, any kind 4 thick bread slices, any kind

Turn the broiler to high and position the rack 4 inches below it. Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the pieces until they’re no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the sausage sizzles and browns and the vegetables soften and become golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the thyme, a pinch of salt, and the cayenne. Stir once or twice, then add the wine. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the liquid reduces by about half, just a couple minutes. Add the tomatoes and half the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily, and cook uncovered, stirring once in a while, until the stew thickens and darkens, 10 to 15 minutes.
Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces onto a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the broiler. Watch and shake the pan as necessary until the pieces brown in places. Remove and let cool.
Add the remaining beans to the pot and add more wine or water, ¼ cup at a time, if the stew looks too thick. Stir until heated through, just a couple minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, topped with the bread and a drizzle of olive oil.

One of my favorite bean dishes, which I make a million ways. Flageolets—slightly green immature kidney beans—are just as fabulous as traditional Tarbes in the fairly traditional All Out recipe. For the simple Sausage Cassoulet, use whatever you have handy in a can or the freezer. For the vegetable-forward Vegan interpretation, lentils, a completely untraditional choice, work perfectly. For all, the goal is to let the beans cook until they start to break apart, which helps thicken the stew. And don’t skimp on the fat.  One of my favorite bean dishes, which I make a million ways. Flageolets-slightly green immature kidney beans-are just as fabulous as traditional Tarbes in the fairly traditional All Out recipe. For the simple Sausage Cassoulet, use whatever you have handy in a can or the freezer. For the vegetable-forward Vegan interpretation, lentils, a completely untraditional choice, work perfectly. For all, the goal is to let the beans cook until they start to break apart, which helps thicken the stew. And don’t skimp on the fat.