White Bean Sausage Pasta Sauce Skillet (1 pan, 30 minutes)

Vegan sausage pasta sauce skillet with white beans, walnuts, sun dried tomato, is a simple, one-pan recipe that comes together really quickly with everyday ingredients. Instead of adding pasta or gnocchi to this umami rich sauce, we add beans to it, for a protein-packed Smoky Bean Stew. Gluten-free

I love adding beans to various kinds of sauces. Be it Indian sauces or pasta sauces, like my rose sauce beans, spinach Alfredo beans or stroganoff beans!. In this version, I make a simple and delicious sausage pasta sauce. For the sausage we use chopped walnuts and mushroom with tons of sausage-y seasonings — like fennel seeds, smoked paprika, pepper flakes, and Italian herbs. This makes the mixture taste and feel like a browned sausage crumble! This mixture then gets cooked along with the aromatics for the quickest from-scratch vegan sausage crumble EVER.

Then, you just add some tomatoes, tomato paste, vegan cheese, and water to make a delicious, simple sauce that you can add beans to, like I’ve done here, or you can add pasta or gnocchi to it. Or, if you want to have it all, you can add the beans to the sauce and serve it over pasta!

You can also serve this as a herbed Bean stew or use this sauce over a baked potato or roasted cauliflower steaks or just serve it as-is with some garlic bread or toasted sourdough.

Why You’ll Love Bean Sausage Pasta Sauce skillet

• 30-minute, 1-pan meal that’s packed with flavor
• from-scratch vegan sausage crumble cooks in the pan with the sauce to save time and dishes
• tons of sausage-y flavor without any meat!
• creamy, flavorful sauce with tons of umami from sun dried tomatoes
• gluten-free, and soy-free with nutfree option

Ingredients and Substitutions

• oil – To sauté.
• aromatics – Onion and garlic lay down the base flavors for the sauce.
• mushrooms and walnuts – Chopped mushrooms and finely chopped walnuts are the bulk of your vegan sausage.
• herbs and spices – We are seasoning the sausage and the sauce with fennel seeds, Italian herbs, onion powder, pepper flakes, oregano, and smoked paprika.
• tomato – This sauce has three kinds of tomato: sun dried tomato, tomato paste, and fresh, chopped tomato.
• non-dairy cream – You can use cashew cream, vegan sour cream, non-dairy yogurt, etc to make the sauce creamy.
• vegan cheese – Use a mix of vegan mozzarella and parmesan or just vegan parmesan.
• beans – Cannellini beans are great in this sauce! Or, you can use other white beans, butter beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans. You can also replace the beans with soaked and cooked soy curls or vegan chicken substitute, if you prefer.
• spinach – Use fresh or frozen.
• toppings – Top with fresh herbs, like basil or parsley, plus more vegan parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.

How to Make Vegan Sausage Pasta Bean Skillet

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and the 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix and cook until the onion is translucent. Add splashes of water to help the onion cook evenly, 5 to 6 minutes.

Then, add in the mushrooms, walnuts, fennel seeds, herbs, and tomato paste, mixing well. Add splashes of the water to help the tomato paste mix in. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is drying out a little bit, and the mushrooms are cooked. This is your quick and umami filled easy vegan sausage crumble!

Add tomatoes and cook for a minute or 2. Then, add in the vegan cream, cheese, salt, and the rest of the water, and mix well. Bring to a boil, then mix in the beans.

Mix in the sun dried tomato and spinach, cover with the lid, and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. 

Open the lid, then adjust the consistency, adding more water if you want it saucier. Taste and adjust salt and flavor, then switch off the heat. Top with the fresh herbs, vegan parmesan, and pepper flakes. Serve with sourdough or garlic bread or over pasta or a baked potato.

What to Serve with Vegan Sausage Pasta Sauce Skillet

Serve this on its own with garlic bread or toasted sourdough for dipping. Or, you can serve over pasta, gnocchi, or a baked potato.