You are here: Home » Recipes » Creamy Polenta with Garden Tomato Sauce and Sausage Creamy Polenta with Garden Tomato Sauce and Sausage Recipe by Karen Berman Yield 4 servings This polenta is soft and delicious, topped with luscious tomato sauce and plenty of sausage. Jessica Merchant PrintEmail Can be easily made into a vegetarian dish by not adding the sausage. Ingredients Garden Tomato Sauce:2 tablespoons olive oil1 medium carrot, peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup1 small celery stalk, trimmed and diced, about 1/2 cup1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 2 large garlic cloves, diced18 plum tomatoes, peeled1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt4 to 8 pre-cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, cut into chunks (optional)1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheeseCreamy Polenta:2 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk2 cups water3/4 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal2 tablespoons butter Instructions Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and any juice from the bowl. Mash lightly with a wooden spoon. Add oregano and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down and formed a chunky sauce. Add sausage and stir to combine. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, until sausage is heated through. Add cheese and stir well. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve. To make polenta, combine milk and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add butter. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring almost constantly, 25 to 30 minutes, until polenta is thick. Serve topped with warm sauce and chunks of sausage. Recipe by Karen Berman