This is a rustic Italian dish – perfect for a winter’s evening meal. I love to do it with crumbled Italian sausage and some cabbage, but sliced sausage will work great too. Or substitute some kale or escarole for the cabbage. The fennel adds some depth of flavor to compliment the Italian sausage and the gorgonzola adds a nice touch of richness to finish it off! Leave out the sausage for a great vegetarian dish.
Baked Polenta with Sausage & Gorgonzola
Serves 10
2 cups cornmeal
6 cups water, room temperature
¼ cup olive oil
½ small cabbage, green thinly sliced (about 4-5 cups)
1 each red pepper, julienne cut
1 bulb fennel, julienne cut
1 small onion, any color, julienne cut
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, cooked
1 cup red wine
5 each roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. rosemary, fresh chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper, black ground
4 oz. gorgonzola, crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In a large saucepan, whisk cornmeal into the water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thick, stirring fairly constantly. This will take about 15 minutes. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and saute cabbage, peppers, onions, fennel and garlic until tender and slightly caramelized – about 20 minutes.
4. Add sausage, wine, tomatoes, rosemary, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 7-8 minutes until tomatoes break down and liquid is reduced by half.
5. Pour over polenta and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with gorgonzola and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted.
7. Serve and garnish with fennel fronds if you like.
Tools needed:
Measuring spoons and cups
Mixing bowl
Cutting board
Chef knife
9x13 pan
Saucepan
Saute pan
Spoon
