Name: One-Pan Sweet Italian Sausage with Polenta
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin; 1 onion , halved and sliced thin; 1 fennel bulb , stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin; 3 garlic cloves , minced; Salt and pepper; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1 1/2 cups water; 3/4 cup instant polenta; 2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (1 cup); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 pound sweet Italian sausage; 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

To make this Italian American classic using only one skillet, we turned to “instant” polenta—already cooked and dried—because it needed only to be whisked into hot liquid to turn into a savory porridge. First we lightly browned sliced onion, red bell pepper, and fennel, and then we transferred the vegetables to a plate. Adding milk and water to the now-empty skillet and bringing it to a boil, we whisked in the polenta along with butter and Parmesan cheese to add richness. We then topped the mixture with the partially cooked vegetables and raw sausages and slid the skillet into the oven to finish cooking and brown the sausages. Since the vegetables left flavorful browning on the bottom of the skillet, which then released into the polenta cooking liquid and turned it grayish-brown, we switched to a nonstick skillet so that the bits stayed on the vegetables rather than in the pan. But while the hot 450-degree oven browned the raw sausages nicely, it was too much heat for the skillet's silicone handle. The solution? A tried-and-true test kitchen trick: wrapped in a double layer of wet paper towels and a double layer of aluminum foil, the handle is protected from the oven's intense heat.

Before You Begin

Good-quality Parmesan cheese makes a difference here.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper, onion, fennel, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and pepper flakes and cook until vegetables are softened and browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl.

Add milk, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to now-empty skillet and bring to boil over high heat. Whisking constantly, slowly add polenta. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until polenta thickens and whisk leaves distinct trail, about 2 minutes.

Off heat, whisk in Parmesan and butter until incorporated. Distribute vegetable mixture over polenta, then evenly space sausages on top of vegetables. Bake until sausages are browned and register at least 160 degrees, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.