Creamy Polenta with Garden Tomato Sauce and Sausage

Lisa Sharples
I love going to restaurants, then backwards engineering dishes at home…particularly, salads and Asian cuisine so you will likely spot me in Uwajimaya in Seattle on the weekends. :)
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Published: 1/13/2020

This polenta is soft and delicious, topped with luscious tomato sauce and plenty of sausage.

Can be easily made into a vegetarian dish by not adding the sausage.

Serves: 4 Save

Ingredients (17)

  • Garden Tomato Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup
  • 1 small celery stalk, trimmed and diced, about 1/2 cup
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, diced
  • 18 plum tomatoes, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 8 pre-cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, cut into chunks (optional)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • Creamy Polenta:
  • 2 cup 2 percent reduced-fat milk
  • 2 cup water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • 2 tablespoon butter

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic; cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.