Cheesy Polenta & Sausage
Cheesy, creamy polenta smothered in a delicious sausage gravy.
Ingredients
Sausage Gravy
- 1 lb Sweet Italian Sausages
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 6 basil leaves roughly chopped
Polenta
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup dry polenta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Locatelli Romano cheese grated
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Brown a few more links of Italian Sausage – sliced diagonally in chunks
Garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley chopped
- Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
Sausage Gravy:
- Remove sausage from casings. In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium high and add sausage meat. Break up with wooden spoon and brown, 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add tomatoes, sugar, dried oregano and salt and red pepper flakes, sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, stir and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes (Start to make the polenta). In last 10 minutes of simmering, add the basil and stir. Season the sauce with more salt to taste.
Polenta
- Bring water, olive oil and salt to a boil.
- Slowly whisk in the dry polenta and to avoid lumps. Cook on low for 10 minutes. This will sputter so keep on low and watch out.
- Add the heavy cream, black pepper, grated Romano cheese. Stir to incorporate. Simmer for another 15 minutes more. If it gets too thick you can thin it out with more chicken stock or water, to your liking.
- Season to taste and take off the heat. Divide polenta in serving bowls and top with sausage gravy and sliced sausage. Serve with freshly grated Romano cheese and parsley.
