“As much as I love a good Italian sausage sandwich (always with peppers and onions), sometimes I feel like something a little more plate-worthy and a tad more elegant…”
The delicious, scintillating scent of peppers and onions sautéing in a pan always makes me think of lazy Sunday afternoons with the sound of football on TV and the refreshing chill of early fall weather. Served up with savory browned links of Italian sausage, on a crusty fresh Italian roll, and you’ve got the makings of a hearty meal, custom made for grabbing and eating in front of the big game, plate or no plate.
As much as I love a good Italian sausage sandwich (always with peppers and onions), sometimes I feel like something a little more plate-worthy and a tad more elegant, (yet, never, ever too complicated). Cutting up the sausage into bite-size pieces and tossing in with some chunky-shaped pasta has often proved to be a satisfying, more plate-worthy fix, but a few years ago I ran across an intriguing recipe from New York Times Cooking columnist, Mark Bittman (click here for his recipe). The recipe, like so many of Bittman’s recipes, is streamlined and simple; instead of a crusty bun or hot pasta, he serves the sausage over a luscious, soft bed of creamy polenta. Brilliant!
Since this first encounter with Bittman’s Sausage & Polenta recipe, it quickly became part of my regular rotation, especially during the colder months. It did take a few tries to get fully comfortable with making polenta, as it can be a little intimidating (as well as messy). A few things I’ve learned: 1) use a non-stick pan. Initially, I would use my pretty little red Le Creuset Dutch oven and was invariably dismayed by the sticky, pasty residue left behind in the pot. Non-stick pans make clean-up a breeze as any polenta residue left in the pan just peels cleanly off in a solidified mass; 2) use stone-ground polenta/grits. The irregularity of stone-ground corn meal produces a more interesting, toothy texture whereas the uniformity of regular-ground polenta sometimes makes the end result too gluey and paste-like; 3) always use water, not milk, as milk obscures the distinctive earthy corn flavor inherent in polenta; 4) finish the cooked polenta by last stirring a teaspoon or so of cold butter, before stirring in any cheese.
Aside from making sure that the sausage is well-browned on all sides, my only other tip for making the most flavorful batch of sausage and peppers, is to add a splash of sweet or dry Marsala wine to the pan during the simmering stage. The Marsala wine’s raisin-like sweetness really complements the fennel flavor of the sausage and takes the entire dish over the top into WOW territory–even if you’re doing a saucy tomato-based version. Served over a pillowy bed of cheesy, creamy polenta, with a green salad on the side, and you have an elegant dinner which is a welcome departure from the usual tailgating casualness of Italian sausage and peppers. I hope you give this recipe a try! Don’t be intimidated by the seemingly complicated step of making the polenta (as I once was!). After making it a few times, it will be come as easy and as comfortably second-nature as boiling up a pot full of pasta. Enjoy!
Italian Sausage, Onions, and Peppers With Creamy Polenta:
An easy, elegant upgrade
Makes two generous or four small portions
Ingredients
Polenta
3 cups water
1 cup polenta, preferably stone-ground
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon cold butter
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
Preparation
In a medium-sized, non-stick sauce pot, bring water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a full, rolling boil. Using a wire whisk, gradually add in polenta to boiling water, whisking entire time. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer, whisking occasionally to keep bottom from scorching, about 15-18 minutes. It will form explosive little bubbles as it thickens, so be careful each time you whisk.
Once polenta has reach the desired consistency, turn off heat, and whisk in the butter, then whisk in the cheese.
Sausage & Peppers
1 pound Italian sweet (or hot) sausage in casings
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise & sliced thinly crosswise
2 large bell peppers (I like a mix of red & green); or 3-4 medium-sized, mild peppers (like hungarian wax, cubanelle or poblano); or 10-15 small, mild peppers (like shishito), cored, seeded and sliced thin
2-3 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
Kosher salt & black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
Heat olive oil over medium-high in 10-12 inch skillet and then add sausages. Brown well on as many sides as possible, covering with a lid in between turning them to diminish splattering. Remove to wooden cutting board and slice into rounds while onions and peppers sauté (see next step).
Add onion and peppers to skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon (while loosening up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet), until onions of translucent and softened, about 6-7 minutes. Add in oregano, garlic, and season with salt & pepper, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Marsala wine and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add sliced sausage rounds to skillet, stir one minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, remove lid and simmer longer if necessary to thicken (5 minutes).
Serve sausage and peppers over a generous bed of polenta. Garnish with extra grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese if desired. Sometimes I even sprinkle or garnish with whatever fresh herbs I might have on hand, such as minced sage, oregano, parsley, or basil.
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ALL TEXT WRITTEN BY STACEY. PHOTOS BY STACEY UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED.
