There’s nothing like the smell of something warm and comforting on a chilly fall day. A cassoulet – traditionally a complex affair involving sausage, pork and duck – can be streamlined and assembled in minutes, then left in the oven to roast as you go about your Halloween business. When the little ghouls and goblins are ready to hit the streets, you’ll have a warming dinner to send them on their way – in less time than it takes to order a pizza.
Ingredients:
1-2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
4-6 fresh mild or hot Italian sausages
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
1 19 oz (540 mL) can white kidney, navy or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F.
2. Scatter the tomatoes over the bottom of a baking dish. Add the garlic, lay the sausages overtop, and drizzle it all with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Toss in a few sprigs of thyme and/or rosemary, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. When the tomatoes have split and the sausages are golden, remove the dish from the oven and stir in the beans. Return to the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the beans are cooked through and the sausages are even more golden. Serve hot, with crusty bread and butter.