Italian Sausage and Cabbage Stew Recipe

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, bulk, or removed from casings
• 1 large yellow onion, half sliced and half minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 1 15-ounce can of white beans (cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy), drained
• 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 quart water
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 2-pound savoy cabbage, quartered, then sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup chopped parsley, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup to a cup of freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese for garnish

Heat the olive oil on medium-high heat in a large (8-quart), thick-bottomed pot. Add the sausage, breaking it up into pieces as you put it into the pot in a single layer. When the sausage has nicely browned, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the minced onion (save the sliced onion for later) and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Once the onions give up some of their water, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the white wine and the beans and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. If you want, for a thicker base, use an immersion blender to blend some (or all) of the beans and onions.

Add the water, stock, salt, cabbage, sliced onion half, bay leaves and browned sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, about another 10-20 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle on chopped parsley and grated cheese.