Polenta With Sausage And Basil Recipes

ITALIAN SAUSAGES IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHEESY POLENTA

Steps:

• Cut each sausage link into 4 pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown all over, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.
• Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet. When hot, add the peppers, onion and zucchini and season with salt. Cook, tossing, until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and reduce until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and the flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.
• Return the sausage to the skillet, stir in the spinach and simmer until the sausage is heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the polenta. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano and butter. Season with salt, if needed.
• To serve, chop the basil leaves and stir into the sauce. Spoon the hot polenta into 4 shallow bowls. Top each with some of the tomato mixture. Use a vegetable peeler to shave more cheese over the top and garnish each serving with a basil sprig.
• Party Version: Make the polenta following the directions above. Spread the finished polenta onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets in a thin even layer and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Cut the polenta into squares (about 1 1/2 inches) and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets (or re-line the original baking sheets). Bake at 325 degrees F until crisp, about 35 minutes. (The polenta squares will continue to crisp up as they cool.)
• Cut the sausage into thin rounds, then cook and remove following the directions above.
• Chop the bell peppers, onion and zucchini a little more finely than called for above, then follow the directions for making the tomato sauce. Add the browned sausage (but not the spinach) to the skillet and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• To serve, lay a spinach leaf on each polenta crisp. Top with a dollop of the tomato mixture and a sausage round. Shave a bit of the Pecorino Roman onto each and top with a basil leaf.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH PARMESAN AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3 and 4 more cups. If mixture becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream's.
• Polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on grind. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and lots of pepper; serve topped with sausages.

SAUSAGE WITH CREAMY POLENTA AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sausage: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli rabe to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to the ice bath; let cool. Remove and pat dry, then chop finely. Set aside.
• Run the pork shoulder through a meat grinder, first using the medium grinder-plate, and then using the small grinder-plate.
• Transfer the ground pork to a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, broccoli rabe, salt, fennel pollen, fennel seeds, red pepper and Parmesan. Mix well.
• Using a sausage stuffer, stuff the sausage mixture into casings, and twist into links. Cut the links to separate the sausages.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the sausage links into the pot, making sure they're submerged. Turn down the heat and simmer the sausages until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove and dry on paper towels. Set aside.
• For the polenta: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, 2 cups water and bay leaf to a boil. Season generously with salt, almost to the point of over seasoning. How do you know that you are there? Taste it! When the liquid has reached a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta in small sprinkles. Once all the polenta has been incorporated, reduce the heat to medium and immediately switch over to stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta until it begins to pull away from the pan, adding water to loosen it up if it becomes too thick. When the polenta is thoroughly cooked, it should look creamy and not feel gritty on your tongue. Remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mascarpone. Keep warm.
• For the tomato sauce: In a medium pot, combine the garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, 1 cup water, red pepper, basil and some salt. Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• To serve, spoon a pool of polenta onto a plate, add a ladle of tomato sauce, and top with a sausage.

BAKED POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine water and milk in a large saucepan with polenta. Bring to a boil over high heat; add Parmesan cheese and butter. Stir constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour polenta into a large, round casserole dish, filling about 1 inch deep.
• Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the skillet until sausage is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, Italian seasoning, and oregano; cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Pour tomato sauce mixture over polenta. Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes.

POLENTA AND SAUSAGES FOR A CROWD (POLENTA ALLA SPIANATORA)

Steps:

• Prepare the polenta: In a heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together polenta, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 8 cups boiling water over medium-high heat. Continue whisking as mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Turn heat to low and switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon. Stir every 10 minutes or so, for about 40 minutes, adding a splash of water as necessary to keep polenta from thickening too much. It may take as much as 2 cups more liquid to achieve a smooth, pourable consistency. Taste polenta for salt and add pepper to taste. Stir well, cover and keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
• As polenta cooks, prepare the topping: Add olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened. Add sausages and let brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add bay leaf, garlic and basil sprig, and cook for 1 minute more. Add wine, turn up heat, and let reduce by half.
• Add crushed tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Taste and adjust with salt and red-pepper flakes. (If using mushrooms, sauté over high heat in a little olive oil, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.)
• To serve, rinse a large circular wooden board, about 18-inch diameter, with cool water. (Alternatively, use a large platter.) Pour polenta onto the board, and, using a spatula, quickly spread it into a circle about 3/4-inch deep.
• Carefully ladle sauce over the polenta, leaving a 1-inch polenta border at the edges. Arrange sausages over the sauce. Top with mushrooms, if using. Sprinkle with basil, parsley and pecorino.
• Place polenta in the center of the table, alongside bowls of grated pecorino. To serve the dish traditionally, offer guests forks but no plates and invite them to attack the polenta nearest their chair. Alternatively, cut polenta into large slices, and serve on dinner plates.

POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a simmer and add the polenta. Cook over low heat, stirring often, 45 minutes. Stir in the butter, Parmesan and olive oil and keep warm.
• Add the tomatoes, sausage, garlic, peppers, onion and crushed red pepper to a large cast-iron pot and simmer, 30 minutes. Serve sauce over polenta, topped with some ricotta and basil.

POLENTA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup water and cornmeal. In a saucepan, bring salt and remaining water to a boil. Slowly stir in cornmeal mixture. Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Cool slightly. Cut sausage into 1-in. pieces; return to skillet. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and parsley; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat., Spread half of the cornmeal mixture in a serving dish; top with half of the sausage mixture. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

POLENTA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Squeeze sausage out of casings into skillet, and saute over medium heat. Break sausage up into small pieces and cook until no longer pink.
• Remove sausage from skillet and discard drippings except 1 tablespoons.
• Saute onion and garlic in reserved sausage drippings until onion is soft. Add mushrooms and zucchini, stir frequently until all liquid evaporates. Stir in tomatoes, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Return sausage to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Spread an even scant amount of sauce (about 2/3 cup) on bottom of an 11x7 inch baking pan. Add a single layer of sliced polenta rounds. Layer with 2 cups of sausage sauce and 3/4 cup of Provolone.
• Finish with an additional layer of polenta rounds, all the sausage sauce, and all the Provolone. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
• Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

EASY ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the remaining ingredients. , Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring, occasionally. Serve with a slotted spoon.

CHEESY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic for a few mins. Stir in the sausages, breaking them up into small pieces as you go, and cook for another 8-9 mins. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock, purée and most of the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 8-10 mins or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste.
• Meanwhile, make up the polenta following pack instructions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, with some seasoning. Spoon the polenta onto 4 plates, then top with the ragout and a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary.