Creamy Polenta With Parmesan and Sausage
Updated September 10, 2018
Evan Sung for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 good-quality sweet Italian sausages
1 cup medium-to-coarse cornmeal
Salt
½ to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
36 grams carbs; 112 milligrams cholesterol; 694 calories; 21 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 48 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 969 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 2 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
Private Notes
Comments
I made this with a few minor tweaks. I first removed the casing and browned the ground sausage. I then removed the sausage from the pan and caramelized 2 shallots and some chopped mushrooms. Once caramelized I added the meat back to the pan and deglazed with red wine. Made the polenta as indicated and added a side of broccoli rabe. Technique seems a bit shaky but the dish got rave reviews.
I cooked the polenta but not the sausages. I served it with the roasted cauliflower and tomatoes. Delicious!
I was so attracted by the photo that I had to try this dish. I didn't have Italian sausage but I did have a package of brats. I followed Mark's recipe and found the polenta was done in 20 minutes after the first boil. It kept absorbing the water quickly until I had added an additional four cups. The butter and cheese are important. We found that Polenta and sausage make for a nice combination of flavors and textures. I do think sweet Italian sausage would have made the dish even more tasty.
I love the sausage and polenta combination. For me, I find cooking the sausages in the oven a better method than pan frying. Also after a Jamie Oliver recipe I roasted cocktail tomatoes with rosemary sprigs and thyme and olive oil for 20 min alone then added thin sausages (French chipolata) for another 20 min at 180C convection oven. This way you can vary the time for the sausages depending on their size without overcooking them.
I make this with plant based sausage and serve it topped with a burst cherry tomato sauce. Delicious!
Honestly, this only takes 30 minutes including prep, so it’s a go-to weeknight staple for me. The base recipe is adaptable: sub a different sausage, add mix-ins to the polenta, add sauté some greens in the sausage fat. Tonight I made it with local lamb and pine nut sausage, fried some chopped hazelnuts in the sausage fat, and finally wilted some spinach in there, too. Might be my favorite combo yet!