Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù (Freezer Meal Recipe)

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù is a hearty, freezer-friendly meal rooted in traditional Italian comfort cooking and designed for modern food preservation. Made with white beans, Italian sausage, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs, this rustic ragù delivers rich flavor while holding up exceptionally well to freezing and slow cooking. Featured in From Seed to Table by Diane Devereaux, this recipe appears in Chapter 7: Freezing Techniques and Recipes, where batch cooking and intentional freezer storage support long-term food security, meal planning, and from-scratch home cooking.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva®
Last updated: December 15, 2025

Freezing as a Food Preservation Method for Complete Meals

Freezing is one of the most reliable and flexible food preservation methods for complete, home-cooked meals. When properly prepared and packaged, dishes like Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù retain their texture, flavor, and nutritional value while allowing you to build a ready-to-cook meal from scratch ingredients. This approach supports batch cooking, reduces food waste, and provides dependable meals for busy seasons or long-term planning.

Unlike canning, freezing does not require pressure adjustments or recipe reformulation, making it especially well suited for meals that include beans, sausage, vegetables, and broth-based sauces. The key is assembling ingredients in measured portions, removing excess air, and freezing promptly to maintain quality.

Freezer Prep Tips

The combination of beans, sausage, tomatoes, and broth creates a stable, moisture-rich base that freezes and reheats evenly. Herbs and spices develop deeper flavor during slow cooking, while the beans retain their structure without becoming mushy.

• Fully cook and brown the Italian sausage before assembling freezer bags. This ensures food safety and improves texture during slow cooking.
• Allow all ingredients to cool completely before packaging to prevent excess condensation and ice crystals.
• Divide the ingredients evenly into freezer-safe bags or containers, following the portion guidance outlined in the recipe.
• Remove as much air as possible from each bag to reduce freezer burn and oxidation.
• Label each package with the recipe name and date before freezing.

When stored at 0°F or below, this ragù maintains best quality for up to 6 months.

Slow Cooker Instructions for Frozen Ragù

This recipe is designed to go directly from freezer to slow cooker, eliminating unnecessary thawing.

• Remove one frozen bag from the freezer.
• Transfer the frozen contents directly into the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once the mixture begins to loosen.
• Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve over pasta, polenta, or garlic mashed potatoes for a complete meal.

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù (Freezer Meal Recipe)

This rich and flavorful ragu combines hearty white beans, savory Italian sausage, and aromatic herbs in a tomato-based sauce. It’s a comforting, rustic dish that brings the flavors of Tuscany to your table with ease. Toss with pasta or serve over garlic mashed potatoes. This freezer-friendly Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù comes from my book From Seed to Table by Diane Devereaux, Chapter 7: Freezing Techniques and Recipes.

YIELD: 6 One-Gallon Freezer Bags; Each Bag serves 4 to 6 People

INGREDIENTS

• 6 lbs. cooked Italian sausage (mild or spicy), browned
  (2 cups per bag)
• 4 pint jars or 4 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
  (1 cup per bag)
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and diced (1 cup per bag)
• 6 celery ribs, chopped (1 cup per bag)
• 6 medium yellow onions, chopped (1 cup per bag)
• 18 garlic cloves, minced (1 T. per bag)
• 6 tsp. dried rosemary (1 tsp. per bag)
• 6 tsp. dried oregano (1 tsp. per bag)
• 6 tsp. smoked paprika (1 tsp. per bag)
• 3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional; ½ tsp. per bag)
• 6 tsp. salt (1 tsp. per bag, adjust to taste)
• 3 tsp. black pepper (½ tsp. per bag)
• 6 cups crushed tomatoes (1 cup per bag)
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (1 cup per bag)
• 12 T. olive oil (2 T. per bag)

Freezer Bag Filling Instructions & DIRECTIONS

1. Wash, cut, and prepare each ingredient and measure to ensure you have the required amount to make six 1-gallon freezer-safe bags’ worth, indicated in each recipe.
2. Working in an assembly-line fashion, start with the first ingredient and place its “per bag” amount into each bag. Then move on to the next ingredient. Repeat until each ingredient has been placed into each bag.
3. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, seal it tightly, and label the bag with the recipe name and the date.
4. Lay flat in the freezer for efficient storage.
5. When you’re ready to eat, simply transfer the frozen contents of a bag to your slow cooker. Add 2 cups of broth or water to the slow cooker, then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, creating delicious, fuss-free meals.
6. Do not thaw the contents prior to slow cooking. Each bag serving approximately 4 to 6 people, depending on their individual portion sizes.

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù (Freezer Meal Recipe)

Recipe by The Canning Diva

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

6 One-Gallon Freezer Bags; Each Bag serves 4 to 6 People

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

This rich and flavorful ragu combines hearty white beans, savory Italian sausage, and aromatic herbs in a tomato-based sauce. It’s a comforting, rustic dish that brings the flavors of Tuscany to your table with ease. Toss with pasta or serve over garlic mashed potatoes. This freezer-friendly Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ragù comes from my book From Seed to Table by Diane Devereaux, Chapter 7: Freezing Techniques and Recipes.

Ingredients

US Metric

• 6 lbs. 6 cooked Italian sausage (mild or spicy), browned

• per bag)

• 4 pint 4 jars or 4 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

• per bag)

• 6 medium 6 carrots, peeled and diced (1 cup per bag)

• 6 6 celery ribs, chopped (1 cup per bag)

• 6 medium 6 yellow onions, chopped (1 cup per bag)

• 18 18 garlic cloves, minced (1 T. per bag)

• 6 tsp. 6 dried rosemary (1 tsp. per bag)

• 6 tsp. 6 dried oregano (1 tsp. per bag)

• 6 tsp. 6 smoked paprika (1 tsp. per bag)

• 3 tsp. 3 crushed red pepper flakes (optional; ½ tsp. per bag)

• 6 tsp. 6 salt (1 tsp. per bag, adjust to taste)

• 3 tsp. 3 black pepper (½ tsp. per bag)

• 6 cups 6 crushed tomatoes (1 cup per bag)

• 6 cups 6 chicken or vegetable broth (1 cup per bag)

• 12 T. 12 olive oil (2 T. per bag)

Instructions

• Wash, cut, and prepare each ingredient and measure to ensure you have the required amount to make six 1-gallon freezer-safe bags’ worth, indicated in each recipe.
• Working in an assembly-line fashion, start with the first ingredient and place its “per bag” amount into each bag. Then move on to the next ingredient. Repeat until each ingredient has been placed into each bag.
• Remove as much air as possible from the bag, seal it tightly, and label the bag with the recipe name and the date.
• Lay flat in the freezer for efficient storage.
• When you’re ready to eat, simply transfer the frozen contents of a bag to your slow cooker. Add 2 cups of broth or water to the slow cooker, then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, creating delicious, fuss-free meals.
• Do not thaw the contents prior to slow cooking. Each bag serving approximately 4 to 6 people, depending on their individual portion sizes.

Notes

• Do not thaw the contents prior to slow cooking.

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.

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