Pizza Beans Skillet with Spicy Sausage
Sizzling, golden-brown Italian sausage and rich tomato sauce crash into creamy butter beans under a blanket of blistered, bubbling mozzarella. This pizza beans skillet takes the viral food trend and elevates it into a deeply satisfying, one-pan meal packed with bold Calabrian chile heat and rich, savoury flavour. When you start with quality ingredients like freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, sweet fire-roasted tomatoes, and hot sausage straight from the butcher, simple comfort food turns into something truly memorable. Serve it straight out of the skillet with warm, garlic-rubbed sourdough toasts for scooping up every last drop of sauce.
Ingredients
➡️Note on Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Pizza Beans
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 oz hot Italian sausage, casings removed 340 g, casings removed
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste 16 to 18 g
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can fire-roasted chopped or diced tomatoes 28 oz / 796 mL, with juices
- 2 cans each butter beans 15 oz / 425 mL , drained and rinsed, ideally 17¾ oz to 19 oz (500 to 540 g) total drained weight
- ¼ teaspoon Windsor kosher salt plus more only if needed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon chopped Calabrian chiles in oil divided
- 6 oz low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella 170 g, coarsely grated
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 25 g
- 1 to 2 tablespoon fresh basil torn or thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chile oil from the jar
Warm Garlic Toasts
- 4 slices of rustic sourdough or Italian bread about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, cut into halves
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove peeled and halved
Instructions
Prep Oven & Equipment
- Position your oven rack 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) below the broiling element for a conventional or countertop oven. Do not turn on the broiler yet.
Brown the Sausage
- Heat your ovenproof 12½ x 9 inch (32 x 23 cm) Medium Au Gratin dish or 11-inch (28 cm) skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the extra-virgin olive oil, then add the sausage in several large pieces. Leave undisturbed for 90 seconds to build a brown crust.
- Break the sausage into irregular, bite-sized pieces and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, until nearly cooked through. Avoid pulverizing into tiny crumbs; larger pieces give better texture. If excess fat renders out, spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
Bloom Aromatics & Caramelize Tomato Paste
- Reduce heat to medium. Clear a small space in the pan, add crushed fennel seeds, and stir for 20 seconds until aromatic.
- Add tomato paste to the same area. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, smearing against the pan until it turns a deep brick-red colour.
- Add the chopped garlic cloves and dried oregano. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, without letting the garlic brown.
Build & Simmer the Tomato Sauce
- Pour in the fire-roasted chopped or diced tomatoes with their juices.
- Scrape the cooking surface thoroughly to release the browned sausage fond and caramelized tomato paste.
- Add the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to a lively simmer and cook uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the tomatoes cook, use the back of a wooden spoon to lightly crush roughly one-third of the tomato pieces, leaving the remainder intact for texture and visual definition.
- The mixture should become noticeably thicker and saucier while still retaining visible pieces of fire-roasted tomato.
Consistency Check & Add Butter Beans
- Drag a spatula through the centre of the pan. The sauce should slowly flow back into the path. It should look thick and glossy, not soupy. If it immediately floods back, simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. If it becomes unusually thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoon water.
- Add the drained butter beans and gently fold them through the sauce.
- Simmer uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice, until the beans are heated through and the sauce clings to them. Avoid aggressive stirring so the large butter beans remain intact.
Season & Hold
- Taste a butter bean together with a piece of sausage and tomato before adjusting the salt. Only add more salt if the complete bite needs it.
- Stir in the chopped Calabrian chile. Remove the pan from the heat. Hold here before topping with cheese while you make the toasts.
Make Warm Garlic Toasts
- Turn broiler to high and preheat fully.
- Arrange the 8 halves of sourdough bread on a sheet pan; brush both sides lightly with 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Broil 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp around the edges. Immediately rub one side of each hot toast with the cut side of the halved garlic clove. Transfer to a plate or towel-covered basket to keep warm.
Top with Cheese & Broil
- Scatter grated mozzarella evenly across the pan, leaving small gaps so sauce and beans are visible.
- Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top, letting the cheese fall along the inside metal edge of the pan to create crispy caramelized perimeter bites.
- Place pan under the broiler 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from element. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes until mozzarella is molten, deeply blistered with brown spots, and bubbling around the edges.
Finish & Serve
- Immediately after removing from the broiler, scatter over 1 to 2 tablespoon sliced fresh basil, spoon over remaining 1 teaspoon chopped Calabrian chiles, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon Calabrian chile oil. Serve immediately with warm garlic toasts.
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Video
Notes
Chef's Tips for Success
- Crushing Tomatoes: Crushing just roughly one-third of the fire-roasted tomatoes creates the perfect sauce texture. Rich and thick enough to cling to the beans while retaining delicious, juicy tomato pieces.
- Avoid Over-Stirring: Butter beans are delicate once heated. Fold them gently into the sauce so they hold their shape.
- Pre-Baking Hold Point: Do not add the cheese topping until your bread is toasted and the broiler is completely preheated. Once the cheese goes under the broiler, serve immediately.
- Crispy Perimeter Bits: Purposefully let cheese hit the direct inner edges of your skillet or au gratin pan for savoury caramelized edges.
Easy Substitutions
- Beans: Cannellini beans or giant Royal Corona beans work as excellent alternatives if butter beans are unavailable.
- Heat Adjustments: Swap Calabrian chiles for mild sweet peppadew peppers or a pinch of red pepper flakes for lower spice levels.
- Meatless Option: Replace sausage with diced cremini mushrooms or plant-based sausage crumbles.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with a Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette to cut through the rich cheeses.
- Serve smaller portions as an appetizer with extra toasted crostini for group gatherings.
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