Slow Cooker Sausage, Bean, and Pasta Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, cut into 1cm thick pieces.
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 220 g dry white beans, such as cannellini, rinsed and sorted
• 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with a piece of kitchen twine
• 450 g raw sweet or hot Italian sausages (4-6 pcs.)
• 1 can (400g) canned roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups lightly salted chicken broth or broth paste
• 1 parmesan rind (100 g), optional + grated parmesan for serving
• 0.5 cup ditalini pasta
• 2 tbsp. l. chopped parsley
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Bread with crust for serving

Preparation:

1. Place the onions in the bottom of a 6-7 quart slow cooker and top with the carrots, garlic, white beans, a bunch of thyme, and sausages. Combine the diced tomatoes with the broth and 3 cups of water and pour over the sausages. Add the Parmesan rind, if using.
2. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours; the beans will be tender and begin to fall apart. Open the slow cooker, remove and discard the thyme bunch and Parmesan rind, and transfer the sausages to a cutting board. Pour the pasta into the liquid and continue cooking, covered, until the pasta is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the slow cooker. Cut the sausages into small pieces and add to the stew along with the parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and with bread for dipping.
   
   Culinary advice:
   This stew is also a great way to use up leftover cooked pasta. In this case, omit the ditalini, reduce the water by 1 cup, and add 1 cup of cooked pasta (cut into small pieces) to the finished stew along with the sausage pieces.