Creamy Polenta With Arrabbiata Sausage Ragout Recipes

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.

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.

POLENTA ROUNDS WITH SAUSAGE RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes and pepper. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in basil., In another skillet, cook polenta slices in oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Serve with sausage mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

CREAMY POLENTA & MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml warm water. Set aside for 20 mins, then drain and squeeze, reserving the soaking liquid. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. When sizzling, add the shallot and cook for a few mins until soft. Add the garlic and thyme leaves, cook for 1 min more, then turn up the heat and add the soaked mushrooms. After 1 min, add all the other mushrooms and fry over a very high heat for 5 mins until soft. Splash in the red wine and boil rapidly for 1 min. Pour in the stock and reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer for 15 mins until you have a thickened stew. Turn off the heat.
• For the polenta, bring the milk to the boil with 500ml water, the bay and thyme. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins, then fish out the herbs and bring back to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking steadily. Cook for 1 min until thickened, then stir in the butter and Parmesan. Spoon a 'crater' of polenta onto a baking tray and fill with the ragout. Top with slices of Taleggio, place under a hot grill until melting and oozy, then let everyone help themselves.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH ARRABBIATA SAUSAGE RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the water, milk, and salt to a boil. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
• Continue stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles occasionally.
• Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the polenta is thick and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, a few cubes at a time, then stir in the cheese. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Heat grapeseed oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook following cooking instructions indicated on the packaging, or until no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Transfer the sausages to a plate.
• Add the bell peppers and onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and return the sausages to the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Slice sausages before serving.
• To serve, place a mound of polenta onto a plate, and top with the sausage and arrabbiata sauce.

SAUSAGE AND FENNEL RAGOUT WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO. Add the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red onions, fennel, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the veggies wilt and the onions become translucent. While the veggies are cooking, start the polenta.
• In a sauce pot combine 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and 1 cup of milk. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. Place over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer.
• Once the veggies have wilted, add the white wine and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and bring up to a simmer. Cook to reduce the liquids by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley.
• To the simmering chicken stock and milk add the polenta and whisk constantly until the cornmeal masses together. It's so cool how fast this happens-right before your eyes! Add the butter and grated cheese, stirring to combine. Keep in mind that polenta is very forgiving; if it becomes too thick, you can always add more warm chicken stock or milk.
• Serve the polenta in a shallow bowl and top with a helping of the sausage and fennel ragout. Garnish with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Buy stock or broth in aseptic boxes rather than cans. They might cost a little more, but the stocks especially have great slow-cooked flavor that really makes fast-cooked food taste rich. Plus, whatever you don't use can go directly into the refrigerator, without having to transfer it from a can. If I know I am not going to use my remaining stock within the next few days, I will transfer it to a resealable plastic bag and freeze it flat. (I have had a small revolution of freezer storage space since embracing the freezing of things flat.)