Name: Creamy Polenta with Sausage and Peppers
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4½ cups water; 1 cup coarse-ground polenta; 1 teaspoon table salt; Pinch baking soda; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (½ cup); 1 pound sweet Italian sausage; ½ cup water; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes; ½ cup dry red wine; 2 red bell peppers , stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin; 1 small onion , halved and sliced thin; ¼ teaspoon table salt; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; Chopped fresh parsley

Creamy Polenta with Sausage and Peppers

By Lan Lam

Published on August 6, 2024

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

CREAMY POLENTA

4½ cups water 1 cup coarse-ground polenta 1 teaspoon table salt Pinch baking soda 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

1 pound sweet Italian sausage ½ cup water 4 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon dried oregano ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ cup dry red wine 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin1 small onion, halved and sliced thin¼ teaspoon table salt 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Chopped fresh parsley

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Bob's Red Mill yellow corn polenta. Coarse-ground grits also work well. Avoid quick-cooking or instant polenta or cornmeal. For a spicier version, substitute hot Italian sausage or double the red pepper flakes. Make the topping while the polenta cooks.

Instructions

for the polenta

Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Whisk in polenta, salt, and baking soda. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, cover, and continue to cook until grains are tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes longer. (Polenta should be loose and barely hold its shape when drizzled from whisk; it will continue to thicken as it cools.)

Remove from heat, whisk in butter and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered until ready to serve.

for the sausage and peppers

While polenta cooks, bring sausages and water to simmer in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook until sausages register at least 135 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. (If skillet contents begin to sizzle, add ¼ cup water.)

Uncover and, using paring knife, pierce each sausage in 8 to 10 spots to release fat and juices. Continue to cook, uncovered, moving sausages as necessary, until dark fond forms on bottom of skillet, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer sausages to cutting board.

Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Add bell peppers, onion, and salt; increase heat to medium-high; and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and stir until no lumps of flour remain. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer.

Slice each sausage in half diagonally. Return sausages to skillet; cover; and cook, stirring occasionally, until bell peppers and onion are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over polenta, sprinkling with parsley.