Crockpot Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Ragu with Buttered Gnocchi.
Well, aren’t you glad it’s time for a little Italian?
Cause um, I SO am.
Gnocchi with ragu? Yes, please.
Am I totally annoying you now? SORRY. I have kind of been in this mood lately where I am saying weird things and acting all funny. My random texts are even better. Pretty sure my brother thinks I am going through an early twenty’s life crisis.
Pretty sure I just really like messing with him. I think it may be all these paint fumes, they are starting to get to my brain. UGH. Workers need to be done working already. Yes, yes, yes!!
See, what I mean? It’s all just getting to me. Like my mind needs a little time without hammers and saws and paint smells. Soon though…or hopefully soon!!
Ok, so now that we have all officially witnessed my craziness let’s talk about some Italian goodness! This crockpot Tuscan sausage and white bean ragu with buttered gnocchi is definitely going to make your favorites list.
Honestly, I do not know why on earth I don’t make more dishes like this. Ragu sauces are just so good, and a giant bowl of buttered gnocchi can almost NEVER be beat. It’s incredibly cozy and delicious.
Oh and SO easy!! You do not even need to brown the sausage before adding it the crockpot. Yes, I am serious, and I promise you will not end up with a clump of sausage because instead of browning the meat, I rolled the sausage into tiny little meatballs. I do this a lot with sausage, especially when I make another recipe we all simply call Penne. Normally I would recommend browning the meat first, it just gives the meat a great caramelization, but in this case, adding the meat directly to the crockpot adds so much flavor to the sauce because all the juices drip off directly into the ragu.
Also, I totally just did not want to dirty a pan, and even worse – dirty up my new stove! What? Well, it was cold and snowing, and I believe it was also a Saturday, I just wanted to toss everything in, forget about it and go back to sleep…gosh I love cozy winter days.
Double also, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who left a comment on my Sunday post. I have slowly been working my way through each comment and trying to respond to everyone. Sorry if you have yet to receive a response, the way my comments work is pretty wacko and it’s hard to keep track of where I left off. Anyway, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone, in case I missed ya. Your kind words and your tips all put a big smile on my face.
I feel a whole lot less embarrassed now, just excited to slowly make this place my own and show you guys what I come up with along the way! So thanks again!
Anyway, this ragu is perfect for a busy weekday or even a casual Saturday night of entertaining. I would definitely grab some extra crusty bread to mop up all that extra sauce. I’d also load up on the parmesan because, well that’s just me lovin’ my cheese, and hey, it’s winter and cheese just makes a dish that much cozier.
And even though I love gnocchi and highly recommend you use it, you can also use pasta. I think the gnocchi is spot on perfect here, but if you’re not a big gnocchi fan, like my dad (are you guys crazy?!?), or you just don’t have gnocchi on hand, any cut of pasta, or even a creamy polenta (YUM!), would work awesome.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Crockpot Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Ragu with Buttered Gnocchi.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gnocchi, ragu, sausage
This ragu is perfect for a busy weekday or even a casual Saturday night of entertaining. I would definitely grab some extra crusty bread to mop up all that extra sauce. I'd also load up on the parmesan because, well that's just me lovin' my cheese, and hey, it's winter and cheese just makes a dish that much cozier.
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a sweet onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole san marzano tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale roughly chopped
- 3 cups cooked white beans
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh basil and parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
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Using your hands, crush the tomatoes over the bowl of a 4-8 quart crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
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Now grab the sausage and roll it into very tiny, bite size balls, adding the to the crockpot as you go. The smaller you can roll the balls, the better. Gently stir the sausage into the sauce. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the kale and white beans. Crank the heat up to high, cover and cook another 20-30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions and then toss with 2 tablespoons butter and a little fresh basil + parmesan.
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To serve, divide the gnocchi among plates or bowls. Top with the ragu and then garnish with basil and parmesan. Enjoy!
Just promise me one thing. You will not, for any reason, skimp on the parmesan. K? GOOD. Now let’s make some ragu!
Oh my looking at that steaming pot of wonderful —-I don’t know but I think I have to go with pasta because I love it although I do eat gnocchi.
You sound like you’re ready for the weekend–I know I am.
I am so ready for the weekend! 🙂
Thanks Nancy!
I use my slow cooker at least once a week. You can bet this is going #onthemenu soon. Pinned.
Awesome! Hope you love this!
I love this dish.so warm it’s freezing here and this dish is calling me. I love a good crockpot meal. So I have to ask now that you’re in your own space who is eating all the food? Does the family come to you or do you bring it all back to the house?
Haha! Such a good question, right now I am bringing it to them since I live in a cloud of dust! LOL!
Tieghan , this wonderful sauce for gnocchi them !
Wandering through your blog , I noticed that you like basil ( the PESTO ) !
I strongly urge you to try the Lasagna with Pesto with green beans and potatoes , classic recipe Genovese ( Liguria ) , simple but very comfortable !
Oh that sounds INCREDIBLE!! Thinking I need to make that soon, it sounds so cozy!
Thanks Alessandra!
Hmmm, I’m running out of excuses to hit up the Olive Garden. So I don’t even have to say how delicious and fab this dish looks. And I can safely promise NOT to skimp on the Parm cheese.
Ha! Thanks so much!
Just looks lovely. But in a quandary. Husband on a strict Coumadin diet now…and limited to max 70-80 mcg of Vit K a day. So Kale is OUT as are all leafy greens. and even dried herbs, esp Italian.. Sad isn’t it. BUT we need to participate to it 100%. 200 miles to the store , I will have to improvise a lot on this .We love gnocchi..perfect.. because it is winter no fresh herbs growing except Flat It Parsley. We may turn this into Greek, Mexican, who knows..when i am done with the seasonings. Thank you for all you share. Tried many..they are all winners.
BTW,,your Bourbon bacon and heirloom Tomato Sandwich from last Sept..is our #1 Sandwich to do. And I am the #1 Grandma now because I cook all my bacon this way. I cook 9-12 pounds at one time, freeze portions, warpped in parchment paper, and bag up. when i need bacon for any meal, take out and reheat in oven for just a bit. This is my secret stash and EVERYONE loves it. Yum. Thank you so much.
Haha! That is so awesome! Thanks Leslie!
Thanks Leslie!!
Hope you can adapt this to your needs!
Yay, this is an excuse for me attempting homemade gnocchi! Do you have any suggestions for recipes? And that Ragu. That ragu. It looks amazing!
Thanks Danielle!!
I have a sweet potato gnocchi recipe, but here is a good plain gnocchi recipe too.
All I can say is YUM! I love gnocchi but I’ve never put it with a ragu before. Sounds delish! Love the white beans in here too!
Thanks so much, Tori!!
You had me at buttered gnocchi. But oh.my.gosh. are these photos gorgeous! You have really outdone yourself! And now I want nothing more than a huge bowl of this all to myself 🙂
THANK YOU!
This ragu looks gorgeous! I am going to give it a try soon, using spaghetti squash instead of gnocchi. You are an inspiration always and your photography skills are really good too! Keep up the good, creative work you do, and btw, love the “crazy” in ya 😉 lol
Thanks Melissa!! Hope you love this!!
Gnocchi has to be one of the greatest things on Earth, this is making me hungry for dinner already! Pinned this recipe!
Thanks so much, Jess!
This looks like a big bowl of comforting yum….Gnocchi is well loved in our house as well as crock pot recipes that are easy to throw together. Pinning this one!
Thank you so much! Hope you get a chance to make this!
I love this dish. It sounds so tasty. I love the idea of using sausage since it already has so much flavor. Looks like a great dish
Thanks so much, Diane!
Ah that ragu! I wish it was simmering in my kitchen right now.
Thank you so much!
This is absolutely going on our dinner menu next week. Can’t wait to try it!
Awesome, hope you guys love it!!
Perfect comforting meal for this time of year! YES! I would serve with creamy polenta, I am a sucker for polenta!
Thanks Sophia! I am too!
I want to eat this right now! But I guess since its a crockpot meal I will save it for Sunday!
Thanks Lindsay!! 🙂
Yum! I don’t have a slow cooker, but I’m guessing I could just cook this on the stove in a dutch oven?
Yup, that works great too! 🙂
Hope you love this!
I don’t have a slow cooker either. If I use my Dutch oven on the stovetop does it affect the time and temperature or keep everything the same?
Hi! I would just simmer over low heat for for 3-6 hours. The longer, the better flavor! Stir ever couple hours to prevent sticking. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe. Thank you! 🙂
Yeah, thanks for an awesome crock pot recipe to try! Pinned for later.
Thanks so much, Theresa! Hope you love this!
Just want to say thanks for getting the arrows back! 🙂
You are so welcome! 🙂
Oooo, gnocchi is soo delicious! Love making my own–time consuming, yes, but so worth it!
I so agree, it is so worth it to make your own! Thanks Matea!!
Just conquered homemade gnocchi in my kitchen and on my blog, so now I have a freezer full of them! Will have to try this preparation–looks super flavorful 🙂
Thanks Tessa!! Your gnocchi will be perfect with this!!
I love gnocchi more than life itself. What a gorgeous dish!
Thanks so much, Dorothy!!
I am going to sound like a dork, but even the word “gnocchi” sounds comforting to me. This looks like a big hug in a bowl!!
You sounds totally normal to me! 🙂
Thanks!
I love gnocchi, this looks soooo good! And I’m definitely not going to skimp on the parmesan ;).
Good thinking! 🙂
Have a great weekend, Laura!
Just made this last night—so delicious! I’ve been making traditional bolognese lately, so I loved seeing how the kale and white beans add such an earthiness and depth of flavor to those familiar flavors. I’m thinking of doing a baked pasta with the leftover ragu. More room for cheese! Thanks so much for the stellar recipe.
So happy you loved this, thanks! Have a great weekend!
Welp, it seems like I’ve chosen an awful time to be going through your posts. What a lovely dish! I can seriously hear my tummy rumbling from hunger right now 🙂
This is beautiful, and just about my ideal winter meal. Can’t wait to try!
Thanks Sarah! Hope you love this!
Another winner! Made it for friends and they raved over it!! 🙂
Thanks so much! Very excited everyone love this!
I am currently in training for a month with 6 other people. We are living out of hotel rooms and have decided to bring a more homey feel to our time away from home and cook crockpot meals! This is going on first thing in the morning so when we get back from class it is ready!! I am having to use tortellini instead of gnocchi (couldn’t find it in the store here) and also no microwave to cook pasta! Going to throw the tortellini in the crockpot for the last 20 mins!! Will let you know how it all goes!!
YUM! Hope you love this!
You have such a fabulous food blog! I made this last night but I used spinach instead of kale, I also made homemade gnocchi. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks!
Oh wow! THANK YOU! So happy you loved this! 🙂
Can I use sausage in the casing and just take out and crumble? Making today and bought sausage in links already.
Kerry, that is what I used when I made it.
Up, that works great!
I LOVE ragu! I don’t make it often enough…probably because I”m making it on the stove. Why am I not using my crockpot? (hand smacks head)
I made this for dinner last night, and it was excellent! A perfect hearty comfort food for a winter evening! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Ally! Hope you are having a great week! 🙂
This is currently in my slow cooker as we speak! I accidentally threw in the kale with everything else so I hope it hasn’t cooked into oblivion when I get home this afternoon. 🙂 So excited to try this!
I think the kale should be fine! Hope you love this! 🙂
We had this for dinner last night! Flavors were good, but it was sort of soupy even after 8 hours on low and an hour on high. made for yummy leftovers today though!
Really? Did you add any extra fluid by chance?
Very happy you enjoyed this, thanks!!
I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! I’ve been eyeing it for a week.
Question -I’m stock piling in preparation for a new baby. Could i cook A large batch and freeze the leftovers?
I think freezing this would work great!! 🙂 Congrats on the new baby!
I made this last night and my husband ate for a few minutes without speaking which was weird- then looked up and said “wow this is so good.” I agree- it was amazing! And I’ll take white beans in any recipe!
Haha!!! Know way that is so awesome!! So excited you both loved this, thanks for the kind words!!!
Husband did the shopping and bought me Roma Tomatos instead or San Marzano.. should I add something to make it less acidic??
Hey Andrea!! I think those will be fine. No need to do anything extra unless the sauce get too thick. Then just add a little water to thin. Hope you love this!
WOW this was delicious! I found you on Pinterest yesterday and have made 2 meals of yours – they’ve both been easy and delicious!
Do you have a cook book? If not you should write one – I’d die to have your recipes in a book. Such beautiful photographs – you’re very talented!
Thanks!
Thanks Erica!! So happy you are enjoying my recipes! Now cookbook yet, but maybe sometime.
Thanks again for all the kind words!
I just made this! I love spicy foods, but I do have to say that the dish was very, very hot. (So much so I couldn’t eat it as is!). I had to mix a little marscapone cheese into the sauce because it was so spicy–but I’m from Chicago and we take sausage really seriously, so it might just be a local problem that the sausage I bought was so intense! Overall, I thought the dish was easy to make and amazing and I would definitely serve it to company. I love your recipes and haven’t had a bad one yet. Thanks, Tieghan!
{great|wonderful|interesting|nice post.
One of the most characteristic towns that I visited in Tuscany is San Gimignano, nearVolterra. I stayed there during my last holiday in Tuscany, in a farmhouse really beautiful. There was a restaurant and a swimming pool overlooking sille towers. It’s called Farm Raccianello and both me and my familiars really enjoyed it.
Wow,
. I was in Tuscany last spring and I visited Chianti, Siena, Florence and San Gimigano.
I slept in a farmhouse in Colle Val di Elsa with pool and a beautiful garden
The farmhouse’s name was Pieve di San Martino.The apartments are clean and well and tastefully furnished.From the terrace you can enjoy a wonderful landscape in Chianti.
Any ideas for serving the ragu without the gnocci (or other pasta)? I am considering making it but just serving it as a stew … or would it be too much like eating a bowl of spaghetti sauce (aka gravy) for dinner? We just don’t do much pasta or refined carbs in my house, but I love everything else about this recipe.
HI!!
So I think you need something else with this, what about spaghetti squash?? Does that work for you?
Yes, spaghetti squash is a regular dish on our house … as well as Zucchini noodles (aka noodles). Thank you!!
Oh perfect! Thanks Rachel! Enjoy!
Hi! I came across your site a few days and made this recipe for an afternoon get together for friends. Great reviews all around. I am going to use the leftovers ragout on zucchini spaghetti tomorrow to switch it up from gnocchi. Look forward trying your other ideas.
excellent! i wanted to be able to put everything together the night before then just throw it in the crock-pot in the morning. i was concerned that the sausage would end up in a big lump so i scooped it into little balls then put them on a tray in the freezer for about 30 min. Once frozen i put the balls in a zip-lock bag and left them in the freezer overnight. in the morning i pulled them out and dumped them into the pot with the other ingredients, hit start and headed off to work. the one complaint my family had was that they wanted more meat – next time i will double the italian sausage (i may pre-cook it slightly to render some fat). There WILL be a next time —
This has been in the crockpot for about 5 hours now, and I just snuck a taste and WOW. Tastes SO good. I can only imagine what it’ll taste like once I add in the kale and beans and serve it with the gnocci yummmmm. Thanks for the recipe!!!
This is the first time I made one of your recipes and it was delicious! It was perfect on this cold wintery night and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers on top of some rigatoni. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Thank you Ceceil! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe and I hope you continue to love others!!
Hi there – just found your site through Instagram…Amber Interiors, I think, mentioned you. Such a beautiful blog and story! Just tried the gnocchi recipe. It was delish! Mine was quite watery as well. After I crushed the tomatoes by hand, I added the remaining tomato sauce from the can…was that right? Trying to get to the bottom of why it was watery. Appreciate your thoughts! I’ve got a handful of your recipes on the docket this week. Looking forward to trying them out – all slow cooker! Best of luck!
Hi Tara! Thanks so much for searching me out, so glad you are enjoying my recipes! 🙂 So, I am thinking to reduce the water, try leaving the lid off your crockpot for the last 30 minutes of cooking. A lot of times crockpots can trap so much moisture and none is ever released. My lid is a little loose, so I think mine let’s out more moisture than most crockpots. You could also omit the juice from the tomato can, but I include it. Let me know if you have any questions. SO glad you enjoyed this. Thank you!
Useful info. Lucky me I found your website by accident, and I’m surprised why this accident did not happened earlier!
I bookmarked it.
Thanks!
Just a question….about to make this…it says 2 ounce cans of the tomatoes and then 28 at the end. Is it 2 28 ounce cans or what does it mean? And is there a substitute for red wine? Thanks so much! We have tried several of your recipes: the mushroom tacos and the zucchini gyros….loved them both! Thanks for sharing your awesome talent of cooking!
SO SORRY for the trouble the recipe was reading incorrectly. I hope you where able to make this and enjoy it still! Recipe is all fixed and again, so sorry for the trouble!
For the tomatoes is it 2 28 ounce cans or ??? And is there a substitute for red wine? Thanks so much! We have loved the few recipes we have tried so far on your site. Thanks for sharing your talent of cooking. It’s amazing!
Not sure what the point of manually crushing the tomatoes is, since you can buy crushed tomatoes, as I did. Also used 40 oz. can of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained. Result was delicious! This recipe is a keeper. I will definitely make it again.
I am so happy you liked this recipe Kathy! Thank you!
I love this recipe! One of my absolute favorites, and go to! Can you make it without the crockpot? If so, how would you do it? You are the best!
Sure! I would just combine everything in a large pot and simmer on the stover over low hear for 2-3 hours or up to all day, stirring often. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I’ve got this in the slow cooker now and am very excited. I’m running short of time though… think it would be ok to increase to high and cook for less time?
In creasing the heat to high should be just fine. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I made this recipe last night, though we cooked it on the stove due to time constraints, and turned out great! We loved the flavor profile and variety of textures in the dish. I did have one question, do you normally drain the liquid from the tomatoes before adding them? The finished sauce seemed a bit thin, but I wasn’t sure if that was because we didn’t cook it in a crockpot for a longer amount of time. Thanks for such a tasty recipe, we’ll be making this one on a regular basis!
HI! I don’t like to drain my tomatoes. If you’d like a thicker sauce, I recommend leaving the top off the crockpot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. That should thicken it! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Since we are not big kale fans. (I should whisper that part since everyone is lovin’ kale these days). Can I substitute fresh spinach instead?
HI! Spinach will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Wondering if anyone has tried this in the Instant Pot?
Hey Lynda,
I haven’t tried this but it should work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hey Lynda,
I haven’t tried this, but I’m sure it would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How would you cook this using an Instant Pot? It looks amazing!
Hey Tracy,
You could do the instant pot, but I have not tested this so I am unsure of the cook time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is prob a dumb question but when you crush the tomatoes do you throw it all into the crockpot or just the juice?
Hey there,
You are going to use all of the tomatoes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Yep! I’ve made this one, and it’s another delicious recipe from HBH. I loved the addition of the white beans. The whole family enjoyed this one. Make it!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was a hit! Happy New Year! xTieghan