Name: Pork Sausages & White Beans with Chimichurri
Prep time: 1460 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 1610 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: For the Sausages; 12 Italian pork sausages; 2 cups dried gigante white beans; 2 bay leaves; 1 large carrot, cut or broken into 3 pieces; 1 celery stalk, cut or broken into 4 pieces; 2 small sprigs rosemary; 4-6 sprigs thyme; 6 cups chicken broth; 1 teaspoon salt; The reserved beans (or 1.5 cans/jars of gigante white beans); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and divided; 2 teaspoons freshly picked thyme leaves; 1-2 cups of reserved cooking liquid from the beans or chicken broth; ½ cup whole milk; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mains

Pork Sausages & White Beans with Chimichurri

Author: Mary DiSomma

Sausage and peppers have always been popular at my house. But one fall, my love for chimichurri inspired me to take my approach to Italian sausage in a new direction—and everyone loved it! The herb-infused white beans make the perfect base for these sausages, and the chimichurri adds a fresh, vibrant flavor that ties everything together.

This Latin-inspired dish feels rustic and fancy all at once. It’s perfect for a non-turkey Thanksgiving recipe or a cozy winter dinner. I love serving it family-style with a big salad and crusty bread. It’s hearty, savory, and just plain satisfying. Read on to learn all about it!

Pork Sausages & White Beans with Chimichurri

Chimichurri Sauce

Bright and herbaceous, you can make this recipe the traditional way with a mortar and pestle, or it’s easy to whip up in the food processor too! Usually served alongside grilled meats, this sauce is just as good as a dipping sauce for many other foods, like empanadas!

Yield: ½ Cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes 5 min
Cook Time: 30 minutes 30 min
Total Time: 35 minutes 35 min

Ingredients

1 large bunch Italian parsley, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed, dried and chopped
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or more as needed to make the sauce the consistency you want)

Instructions

For a Mortar & Pestle

Place parsley, cilantro, garlic and capers in a mortar. Mix with your pestle to combine.
Add the vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper and stir with your pestle to combine.
Slowly pour in olive oil and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more olive oil
Let sauce rest for 30 minutes before serving.

For a Food Processor

Place parsley, cilantro, garlic, capers, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper into a food processor.
Slowly pour in olive oil and pulse to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more olive oil.
Let sauce rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Tips

Cassoulet is a traditional French dish made with beans and slow-cooked meat, like sausage, duck, or pork. Think of it as a rich, rustic stew—cozy and comforting. A cassoulet makes a great alternative main dish for a holiday meal. This pork sausage recipe takes a little inspiration from that, but with a little twist (as I like to do)! Creamy white beans, fresh herbs, and a bright chimichurri sauce come together for a dish that’s colorful and full of flavor.

I love gigante white beans for this recipe because they’re big, creamy, and hold their shape beautifully. But if you can’t find them, you can use cannellini beans or Great Northern beans instead. Just make sure they’re cooked until tender and creamy. And by the way, I always cook mine from dry!

“Salsiccia e fagioli” is Italian for “sausage and beans.” And I have to say, it’s as comforting as it sounds! Rich sausage paired with soft, hearty beans is a classic combination in Italian cooking. This Thanksgiving recipe borrows that idea—and adds a little South American flair with my homemade chimichurri recipe.

Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce➝

Extra Tips

Nope, chimichurri is not quite the same as pesto. Both are made with herbs and olive oil. Pesto is thick, nutty, and usually made with basil and Parmesan. Chimichurri is lighter and tangier, made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. It’s bold, fresh, and perfect with grilled meats or roasted vegetables. Chimichurri has a really unique flavor that can add whole other dimensions of flavor to a dish when used the right way.

Traditionally, chimichurri is made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, and salt. My original chimichurri recipe includes cilantro for extra brightness, but for this dish, I skip the cilantro to let the flavors of the sausage shine through. It also pairs well with steak, grilled shrimp, or roasted chicken.

The flavor of chimichurri is herbaceous, garlicky, and sometimes a little spicy. The vinegar gives it a slight tanginess. It’s one of those sauces that makes every dish taste a little more alive. When you spoon it over warm sausages and beans, it cuts through the richness for a perfectly balanced flavor profile.

My Best Thanksgiving Recipes➝