CHEESY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH
Serves 8 normal people, or 4 ridiculous ones
I actually took a photo of the ingredients I used.
There they are. Oh, except I left out the cheese. It's off to the side--can you see the top of a plastic ziptop bag? Yeah, that's it.
Sauce
1 lb hot bulk italian sausage (obviously you can leave this out and make it vegetarian)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints grape tomatoes
1/3 cup dry white wine
Zest from 1 lemon
1 bag baby spinach
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Start by heating a little olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Leave it alone for a little bit so the sausage can get nice and crusty and well-browned.
Once all the sausage is cooked through, remove it from the pan and let the sausage drain on some paper towels. You may want to drain off some of the excess fat as well-you only need a tablespoon or two for the veggies.
Return the pan to medium heat and add in the onion. Let the onions soften for a few minutes, then add in the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Anywhoo once the tomatoes start to pop a little bit, add in the garlic, lemon zest, and white wine. Let the wine reduce a bit, then start adding in the spinach.
Season with a little more salt and pepper, and add in some cayenne pepper if you want to. Once all the spinach is added in, let it simmer just to get all of the spinach wilted, then turn the heat to the lowest setting. It's usually labeled "Low."
Polenta
1 cup corn meal
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock, or water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
About 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I've used cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack...whatever you like)
1/3 cup milk or heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Heat the chicken stock with the salt in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, start slowly whisking in the polenta. You must add it in while whisking at the same time, otherwise it gets lumpy. Keep whisking for a little bit while the mixture starts to thicken--this will only take a couple of minutes. Once it's thickened, add in the milk/heavy cream, butter, pepper, cheese of your choice, and the parmesan cheese. Whisk all of this into the polenta until it's nice and creamy. Taste for seasonings, and if it's good, pour it into a nice baking dish. Then pour the sausage mixture on top. Then take some nice fresh basil leaves and tear them up, then scatter them over the top. And maybe some extra parmesan cheese will look nice too.
I actually took a photo of the ingredients I used.
Sauce
1 lb hot bulk italian sausage (obviously you can leave this out and make it vegetarian)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints grape tomatoes
1/3 cup dry white wine
Zest from 1 lemon
1 bag baby spinach
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Start by heating a little olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Leave it alone for a little bit so the sausage can get nice and crusty and well-browned.
Sausage. Mmm.
Once all the sausage is cooked through, remove it from the pan and let the sausage drain on some paper towels. You may want to drain off some of the excess fat as well-you only need a tablespoon or two for the veggies.
Return the pan to medium heat and add in the onion. Let the onions soften for a few minutes, then add in the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Polenta
1 cup corn meal
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock, or water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
About 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I've used cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack...whatever you like)
1/3 cup milk or heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Heat the chicken stock with the salt in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, start slowly whisking in the polenta. You must add it in while whisking at the same time, otherwise it gets lumpy. Keep whisking for a little bit while the mixture starts to thicken--this will only take a couple of minutes. Once it's thickened, add in the milk/heavy cream, butter, pepper, cheese of your choice, and the parmesan cheese. Whisk all of this into the polenta until it's nice and creamy. Taste for seasonings, and if it's good, pour it into a nice baking dish. Then pour the sausage mixture on top. Then take some nice fresh basil leaves and tear them up, then scatter them over the top. And maybe some extra parmesan cheese will look nice too.
Now it's ready to eat. I served it alongside a nice bag of salad, because I am lazy.
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