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Creamy Polenta with Parmesan, Italian-Style Sausage, Fried Sage, and Sundried Tomatoes

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Course: Dinner
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Doina Johnson

Ingredients

For the Polenta:

  • 1 cup medium cornmeal polenta
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes half if using regular salt or more to taste

For the Toppings:

  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
  • 8 oz 225 grams Italian-style sausages
  • 20 sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil to fry the sage leaves

Instructions

Making the Polenta:

  • Add the water, milk, and a pinch of salt to a large pot over medium-high heat and add the cornmeal very slowly while whisking vigorously.
  • Keep cooking the cornmeal over medium-high heat, whisking continuously, until the milk starts simmering and the mixture is thickened, just about 5-7 minutes.
  • Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer the polenta for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When the polenta thickens, it’s easier to stir with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula than with a whisk. While the polenta is simmering, you can prepare the toppings (see below).
  • Once the polenta is cooked, add butter and parmesan. Stir and take it off the heat. Cover it for a couple minutes then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt to taste. When it’s time, spoon the creamy polenta into bowls or deep plates, with the toppings below.

Making the Toppings:

  • To a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot (after about 15-20 seconds) add, the sage leaves and fry for about 45-60 seconds. Transfer the fried sage leaves to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
  • To the same frying pan, over medium heat, add the sausage to the pan and cook for about 8 minutes until the sausage is nicely browned on the outside and cooked on the inside. You can use either ground sausage or sausage links. If using sausage links, you can remove them from the casings and cook them like ground sausage or you can cook them whole (which will take a bit longer, anywhere between 12-18 minutes depending on the sausages).
  • Top the polenta with the cooked sausage, fried sage leaves, chopped sundried tomatoes, and more parmesan.